From the Sands of the Arena
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: … or 'From behind Bars' in Ancient Rome. In the 3rd century AD, Mufasa and Scar find themselves captured by humans and are taken to one of the great Roman amphitheaters. In the arena, trapped between gladiators and other beasts, will the two lion brothers survive when they are made to fight for the amusement of the crowd, and for their own lives? Rated T for blood, cursing, etc.
1. Laqueus

**AN: Greetings, dear Lion King fans!**

 **Thank you for coming and welcome to this new little African story.**

 **With 'The Lion Guard' out and running AND the CGI remake coming out in two years with God knows what in it, the 'Lion King' canon is open yet again and none of us can predict how the creators of the show are going to twist it (as if they haven't done enough damage already). I have therefore decided to wait before writing more stories about things that Disney may still change. But that doesn't mean an AU story with TLK characters is impossible!**

 **It will be** **similar to one of my older ones, 'From behind Bars'** **, and although the similarity is deliberate, I will not simply re-write the events of the former story, but only use the main frame of it to build what will happen in the world of the new one. FYI- the story can** _ **also**_ **be considered a ****c** **on** **tinuation of my last one- 'Takas Guard'** **.**

 **Once again we will follow the two brothers who are always at war with each other, Mufasa and Scar, as they are forced into a 'group therapy' session by getting abducted from the Pridelands and becoming slaves of humans. But the first and most important difference is that 'From behind Bars' was set in modern times, whereas 'From the Sands of the Arena' will take place in… the ancient Roman Empire! So you can get ready for gladiators, amphitheaters and a constant struggle for life- all seen from the perspective of the beasts fighting in the arena!**

 **I'll be putting tiny bits of info about Roman times as well as a number of Latin words in the particular chapters, and I hope to stick to historical fact. Feel free to correct me if I make a mistake.**

 **So without further ado, here's 'Caput I', or chapter 1 for you. The year is circa 250 A.D.**

 **Enjoy XD**

* * *

 **CAPUT I – LAQUEUS** (Chapter 1 – The Trap)

 _(Scar)_

The ground underneath him was shaking like an earthquake, and he had a horrible headache. He felt so miserable that he couldn't even be angry… He kept his eyes closed, as he feared that the dizziness he felt, along with the movement of the floor, was about to cause him to throw up.

 _What in the world happened…?_

He couldn't have been dead. Dead animals did not feel pain, as he did- a lot of it. Half-unconscious, he tried to recall the last thing he remembered doing, but even thinking seemed to hurt him at first. Everything was a swirling, mixed up chaos of sounds and colors.

He tried to estimate what sort of surface he was lying on. It was hard, uncomfortable, and was making his bones ache, so it couldn't have been grass. But it didn't have the coldness of solid rock, either. When he extended his claws, he was able to dig them into the floor, and he felt splinters beneath the pads of his paw. That meant that there was wood underneath him. But how could it be so flat, and why was it shaking like that?

Finally, struggling with the nausea, he did recall some very hazy memories… Best of all, he remembered his brother's angry face. That sight twisted his stomach and caused him to groan, but he had to at least try to bring back the image of whatever put him in this confusing, miserable place.

Oh yes, him and Mufasa had a fight because he hadn't showed up for his nephew's presentation. Of course, he did that deliberately, but he pretended that he had merely forgotten just to annoy his older sibling. And, as he clearly remembered, it worked- Mufasa felt offended, and even asked if Scar wanted to challenge him. Then he turned his back on the king…

 _And then I left. But where did I go afterward? Was it… Uh! Why is everything so shaky? Ah, my head is killing me… Wait. Yes, now I remember something._

Scar was near the border of the Pridelands, walking in circles. He was angry and kept looking at the sun from time to time.

 _Where is she?_ – the question echoed in his mind. He wasn't in the mood for sitting around and doing nothing.

Out of impatience, the lion ascended a nearby hill. He gazed toward the savannah in the distance and strained his eyes. It looked like there was something moving in the tall grass- something bigger than a jackal, alone, and walking his way. He lifted his head to smell the wind that blew from that direction.

 _Yes, it's her… It's about time she showed up!_

Scar waited on top of the hill until the tan-furred young lioness poked her head out of the shrub. Although she smiled at him, he did not respond with the same. Instead, he expressed his dissatisfaction.

-"You're late, Zira. _Again_."

But the female kept beaming at him sweetly in spite of his stern gaze.

-"And good afternoon to you, too!" – she said, running up to him gleefully and rubbing against his side.

Scar moved away from her, causing her to show a sad face.

-"Oh, must you be like that! You know it's not possible for me to sneak away from my pride whenever I wish. I have a mate now, after all!"

The lion snorted, although with a thin, sarcastic smile.

-"Is _he_ the one you've been spending so much time with instead of coming to me, _hm_?"

-"Stop it!" – Zira responded to his typical mocking attitude with irritation. – "You know well that I didn't have anything to say about my betrothal! I run over here whenever he's not watching, just to be with you! Can't you ever show any appreciation?"

Scar observed her anger with a disarming smile. When she was done, he put his paw on Zira's shoulder.

-"My dear, I _do_ appreciate our little rendezvous. How could you think otherwise? Would I be sitting here, anticipating your arrival, if I hadn't?"

The female let go of her angry demeanor.

-"Well, enjoy it while you can. I've got to be back in an hour or so."

-"An _hour_?" – Scar gasped with dramatized disappointed.

-" _Yes_. You heard what I said. My mate is taking his afternoon nap right now, but when he wakes up again, he's going to be looking for me."

Seeing the frown on the lion's face, Zira lied down on the grass and made herself comfortable.

-"So… How was it today?" – she asked as Scar stretched himself out beside her.

-"Oh, just as I've expected. After I failed to show up at that little hairball's pathetic presentation, my brother barged into my lair like the insulted monarch he is, accusing me of dishonoring him and his ridiculous royal traditions. He must have done that immediately after the whole ordeal was over, I didn't even have the time to finish eating lunch! He was delightfully furious. You should have seen the sparks in his eyes- they were about to set fire to the grass under his paws. It was pure pleasure to watch him lose his temper again, and then as he was forced to stand there while I laughed him in the face, knowing that self-righteous fool would never harm a member of his own family…"

But what Scar was saying only sounded like he enjoyed it. Zira, as empathetic as she was toward her friend, noticed that he wasn't looking her in the eyes, but fixed his stare somewhere in the distance.

-"What's wrong?" – she asked him, putting a paw on one of his own.

The lion remained gloomily silent for a while. Then he turned his head to look in her brown eyes.

-" _Everything_ is wrong." – he snapped. – "Don't you understand? With Simba's birth, I am now farther from the throne than I ever were. Simba is to become Mufasa's successor, which means that it's pointless to sit around and wait for my brother to die anymore. And… even if Mufasa was… _removed_ from the picture… It would all still be for nothing!"

Scar whipped the ground with his tail, an expression of his fury and helplessness. The lioness cuddled against the side of his head, burying half her face in the black hair of his mane to cheer him up.

\- "Oh, don't say that! Not everything is lost yet! Ruling is our destiny, remember?"

-"I am beginning to lose faith in destiny, Zira. What do you suppose I could still do in order to change my pitiable situation? – he said without returning the caress.

-" _What_?" – the female staged an insulted tone. – "You can't mean that you are feeling pitiable being with _me_!"

-"That's not what I had in mind! Don't change the subject!"

-" _Hmf_! Very well. If you wish to spend the short time we have on talking about boring political issues instead of more relaxing subjects… have it your way. In that case, I need to tell you that, since the birth of your nephew, I've been thinking. Mufasa's big and dangerous and all that, but what about his newborn son? After all, a cub is extremely frail and vulnerable. What if it wasn't Mufasa who had an accident, but _poor little Simba_? Wouldn't that make _you_ next in line for the throne again?"

Although Scar thought that he knew Zira already, her gruesome proposition surprised him.

-"What are you suggesting?" – he inquired, narrowing his eyes. – "Do you want me to murder my own brother's cub?"

-"Oh no no no, you misunderstood me!" – she grinned menacingly. – "Who would even dare think of _murder_? That would be hideous! I know you, my beloved, and I'm sure you would never be so cruel…" – again, she fawned against his side with her head. Then she whispered – "… although, accidents do happen…"

Scar gazed at her closely. Then, surrounding the female with his paw and looking in some unspecified direction, he began to think aloud.

-" _Hm_ , yes, that is true. Accidents _do_ happen. As with my former colleagues from the Lion Guard. A mere accident. Simba, however, is under constant surveillance from his mother and the rest of the lionesses… But that will not last forever. Sooner or later, my nephew is going to want to run off on his own and explore his future kingdom- as young crown princes do. And there is many very dangerous, carnivorous animals in the Pridelands… Hyenas, for instance…"

Zira grinned with joy as listening to her lover's plotting.

-" _Yes_! Fortunately, you yourself are friends with those filthy beasts!"

-"Hm, well, I wouldn't exactly call them my friends. But they do listen to what I say, as dim-witted as they are…"

Suddenly, Scar rose from the ground, leaving Zira alone and looking at him with surprise.

-"Where are you going?" – she said with a voice broken with disappointment.

-"I've got no time to lose." – the lion smiled back at her. – "I need to get to the Elephant Graveyard before sunset. Go back to your mate before he misses you, I'll see you some other time. Thanks for giving me a good idea, Zira! _Tah-tah_!"

And then he ran off, leaving her lying in the grass, furious. He enjoyed teasing her this way from time to time, although now a different thought was cheering him up- a newfound hope, as despicable as it was. He needed to discuss this plot with his minions, and making them understand anything usually required an extensive amount of time.

As he ran toward the hyenas' abode, the joy that filled his heart made him lose track of anything that was going on around him.

 _This isn't over yet!_ – he thought to himself with delight. – _All I need to do is find a way to get rid of that little hairball. Why haven't I thought about this ear…_

 _WHAM_ _ **!**_

The train of Scar's though was suddenly and violently derailed, and replaced with a lot of darkness and pain. As he regained his balance, he noticed that, while running ahead blindly, he'd fallen into some sort of a ditch.

 _Bloody hell_! – he cursed, touching his aching side.

The ditch he now found himself in was rather strange. It was almost exactly his size, and its walls were smooth as if an elephant dug it with its foot. Scar also recognized that he didn't notice the hole because it had been covered with twigs, palm leaves and grass.

 _What is this?! Some sort of a trap?_

As he struggled to clamber out of the ditch, he felt even more concerned. There was an odd, unfamiliar scent in the air. Then, right in front of him, Scar saw a strange creature that walked on two legs and wielded a sharp stick. It reminded him of Rafiki, but had no fur at all, and its skin was of a dark brown color.

 _A human_! – the lion thought with amazement.

Scar had heard about humans before, but he'd never seen one in his entire life. From the stories he was told he knew that men had neither claws nor fangs to defend themselves with, but instead used wooden objects and set up traps while hunting. Although, unfortunately for this one, the lion he was trying to catch managed to free himself from the snare that was meant to bind him and render him harmless.

Scar growled at the intruder, and the human flinched from fear, clasping the stick he held in his strange paws.

 _Well, my little trespassing friend! What are you going to do now? Stab me with that little tooth pick? I don't think so. Come, let's do this quick. I shall use you flesh in order to bribe my hyenas…_

And then, just as Scar was about to pounce at the defenseless creature, something hit him on the head with great force and he was swallowed up by darkness.

* * *

 **AN:** _ **Boom!**_ **Poor Scar, and he was in such a good mood, too. It's a shame it was for the wrong reason! In this story, Zira is already his mate… or rather, his lover, as she's also in a previously arranged marriage with the leader of her own pride (explains how Kovu is not Scar's son. You can read about how that happened in 'Takas Guard'). She is Scar's companion in loneliness, and she convinces him to attempt to get rid of Simba. It had to come from somewhere, since in the very first scene of the movie he complains that he's never going to be king.**

 **I voraciously await your reviews, favs, and the like! I'm trying to improve my vocabulary and style with each story, although** **I am not a native English speaker** **. Let me know of anything that crosses your mind while reading, or if you have any suggestions. I'm not 100% sure where I'm going to take the plot just yet, and I can't promise to be publishing new chapters regularly, as I'm getting ready to move at the moment.**

 **So thanks and see you in about a week or so!** _ **Valete**_ **!**


	2. Poena Exilii

**AN: Although each chapter of 'From behind Bars' began with an entry from Mufasa and Scar's human keeper, I'm not planning on doing that this time… however, if you've read 'FbB' and you liked it the way it was, I just might change my mind if you ask me to XD. I'm also going to be randomly shifting the POV between both characters (forgive me that the first couple of chapters are going to be in Scar's perspective- yes, I am obsessed…).**

* * *

 **CAPUT II – POENA EXILII** (The Punishment of Exile)

 _(Scar)_

Humans… _Yes, this must all be their fault!_

As soon as Scar realized that, he cursed those pathetic hairless creatures for ever crossing the border of the Pridelands. He came to a conclusion that, when he crawled out of the trap, there must have been more of them than just the one he saw- and that other human must have knocked him unconscious by hitting him on the head with some dull object. But since he felt no broken bones or open wounds, apart from the pulsating heat in a huge bump, he promised to himself that his revenge would be swift- even if there was a dozen men with a dozen sticks surrounding him.

 _Foolish apes… They should have killed me when they had the chance!_

He could smell them all around, together with other unfamiliar odors. But first, before slaying his reckless attackers, he had to be able to see them…

He tried opening his eyes, but everything around was still spinning like a leaf in the wind, making him sick. He could hear every blood cell running through his veins.

 _Alright… Must keep breathing…_

One. Two. Three.

Scar lifted his right eyelid a little, and saw something strange. There was a wall in front of him, but it had holes in it. Ignoring his aching temples, he took a look around with one eye… and saw that a similar wall was also on both his sides, and above.

He was in a cage. And the cage was moving.

 _What kind of madness is this?!_

Anger giving him a shot of adrenaline, he drove his claws into the wooden floor and lifted himself up with all his strength. But as he did that, something tightened around his neck, pulling his head downward with a forceful jerk.

 _Gah_! – he chocked, hearing the sound of clinging metal underneath his paws.

Then he understood. Opening both his eyes and blinking several times to make the haze go away, he finally saw the chain which dangled from his neck. A snarl formed in his throat.

There were two special curses which the free animals of Africa would sometimes use to insult each other during an argument. Those curses were: 'may you be caged!' and 'may you be collared!' Scar, prince of the Pridelands, now found himself to be both caged and collared at the same time.

Obviously, his first reaction was violence. He tried breaking the chain or tear the collar form his neck while roaring furiously, jumping and throwing his head around until the hard leather cut into the skin on his nape. But it was all for nothing.

Finally, completely spent and hurting all over, he collapsed on the wooden floor.

Trying to catch his breath, he examined his surroundings again. The cage was tight, sturdy and old, and had been used multiple times before- everywhere inside there were scratches and bite marks from the claws and fangs of unknown creatures, and there was hardly any bark left on the beams that were used for bars. It stank of urine and putrefaction, and Scar was able to see dried-up blood stains here and there. Some of the blood belonged to lions. The rest, he didn't even know.

He stood up, as much as he could, and lifted his eyes toward the sky. It was moving faster than he ever saw.

Then a grim smirk appeared on Scar's face.

-"Oh, father. You've caught me!" – he spoke dramatically with a fake note of remorse. – "Yes, I admit it. I stole Mufasa's toy. Please, don't punish me! I promise I'll never, ever do it again!"

But then his expression changed, disfigured by a frown of wild rage. His eyes cast thunder at the Ancient Kings, answering with defiance to the cruelty of their judgment.

-"How appropriate. How rightful of you! To have me enslaved and taken away as soon as my scheme was conceived, so that I would not be able to harm your beloved Mufasa and his precious little son! Now they are safe, and I… well, who cares about me, anyway? No one ever did. Damn you! _Damn you all…_! I am not dead yet, however. If these pitiful creatures wanted to take my life, they would have done it already. I _will_ have my revenge… or I shall die trying. _Do you hear me?!_ "

Turning his angry face away from the heavens and whoever inhabited them, he took another look around. The thing that was closest to him were the behinds of two dromedaries that pulled his cage- and stank worse than any hyena he ever knew. _How charming._

On both sides of the cage walked his human guards, carrying their spears. But the ones he was seeing now were different than the one he encountered before he was caught. Namely, their skin was paler, but all Scar could see were their eyes. It was because all of them were wrapped head to toe in their ridiculous fake furs. Scar had heard that, since men didn't have pelts of their own, they either wore those of other animals or dressed in fake furs they made themselves. Which, at least in his opinion, made them look like baby hippos swaddled in water-weed.

The lion figured that the dark-skinned humans didn't need as much protection, but these paler ones had to wear their fake furs or else the sun would have burned them to a crisp. But it was still odd for them to cover their faces like that.

 _How can they eat?_ – he thought to himself, examining his captors with disgust. – _Maybe I could tear that covering off one of them, if I get a chance, and make him run from me naked?_

The travel went on forever, and although his capability of movement was greatly limited, Scar noticed that his cage was only a part of a long column of men, animals and wagons moving together in one line and in the same direction.

 _Taking them all out may prove to be a bigger challenge than I'd wish it to be… -_ the lion estimated with a sigh. - _I just hope that humans feed the animals they catch sometimes._

Scar also heard how humans communicated with each other by making complicated, throaty sounds. And although he couldn't understand anything, he noticed that as the journey went on, the conversations intensified in terms of both frequency and emotion. He could hear in the men's voices that some of them were becoming impatient.

-"What's the matter, is the sun bothering you?"– he stared into one of the guards' eyes, trying to attract his attention. –"Would you rather sit in a comfortable cage than walk? Be my guest, I'd be happy to switch. If you could only take this chain off my neck…"

Surprisingly, hearing him growl made the man look back at him. But all he did was slam his spear against the wooden bars of the cage and smile (or at least it looked like it, as his face was covered).

The lion cocked a brow at him.

 _Oh. Was that supposed to intimidate me?_

-" _Akhr's_!" – grunted the man and hurried the caravan. – _"Hyaa! 'Iilaa al'alam! Bisrea!"_

They travelled almost until dusk. By the time his cage on wheels finally stopped, Scar was feeling dizzy again, apart from being terribly thirsty. Fortunately, one of the veiled humans brought him a small bowl of water… but then spilled half of it trying to push the bowl through the bars.

 _Idiot_ – Scar scolder him with an angry stare, right before quickly lapping up the remaining liquid as soon as the guard left.

The people around him started getting ready for the night. Screaming at each other in their throaty tongue, they put up little shelters made of similar material to the one they were clothed in. Scar was especially surprised when they started making fires.

 _Of course. These cowards with their weak eyes are afraid of the dark… Or rather, creatures that can see in the dark, unlike them._

When the humans sat down by their bonfires, Scar counted that there must have been at least two dozen of them. As they were chatting and singing, their camels kept grunting and moaning, what was extremely annoying. The lion tried to tell them to shut up, but the beasts didn't pay him any attention.

Suddenly, the sound of a hungry female dromedary reminded him of someone he knew.

 _Ah yes. I wonder how Zira is going to cope with my disappearance?_ – he thought bitterly. – _She's probably going to scour the Pridelands looking for me, and then my caring brother will make her go back to her mate… which will cause her to become as mad as a pregnant elephant. What a pity. She was almost starting to become useful._

Another approaching human interfered with his meditations. This one was carrying something that Scar recognized as a dead chicken.

 _Oh goody. I wonder how you're going to squeeze that through these beams?_

But the man didn't have to do that at all. Instead, he simply opened the front of the cage.

The lion immediately rushed forward with a growl, but when he remembered about the chain, it was already too late. Again, he choked and felt a strong, painful jerk. By the time he regained his balance, the guard had thrown the chicken into the cage and slammed the gate in front of Scar's nose.

 _This is beginning to get on my nerves!_

Angry and embarrassed, he looked at the meager meal.

 _Never thought I'd be made to eat carrion_ …

As he was satisfying his hunger without drawing the slightest pleasure from it, the humans continued to sing and the camels continued to moan. Under the light of the stars, the stern gaze of his Ancestors who sentenced him to this exile, prince Scar of the Pridelands quickly sought escape into the land of sleep.

* * *

 **AN: The words which the guard says to Scar are in Arabic, and they mean: "Shut up!** **Giddy-up** **, let's keep moving! Faster!'**

 **Although the story will have some 'lighthearted' moments, I'm planning on making it somewhat darker than 'From behind Bars', as the characters' situation is more dramatic. So Scar believes that he is being punished by the Old Kings of the past for conspiring to kill Simba, and also for his former crimes, like killing the members of his Lion Guard. About those events you can read in my previous story, 'Takas Guard'.**


	3. Equus et Ungula Metallica

**CAPUT III – EQUUS ET UNGULA METALLICA** (The Horse and the Metal Claw)

 _(Scar)_

Right by his cage, there walked an animal with a man on its back. Now that was a peculiarity, if Scar ever saw one.

Along the way, the lion noticed that humans were very comfortable creatures. If they didn't have something, they either made it themselves, or made others do it for them. That was why they had fake furs and camels to ride and pull their carts. But Scar had never seen a camel similar to this one. To him, it looked more like a zebra, minus the stripes.

-"Pardon me" – he said to the strange creature, crouching in the corner of his cage to catch eye contact with it. – "Excuse me for disturbing you in your labour, but I haven't been able to speak to anyone in three whole days now."

The animal looked his way ever so slightly, then immediately turned back.

-"Ah, so you do hear me! Splendid. In that case, my friend, would you be so kind to tell me what exactly are you?"

The odd beast, looking completely passionless, kept on walking for another dozen paces or so. Only then did it respond.

-"I'm a horse" – a quiet explanation came.

 _Amazing! This dumb oaf can actually speak!_ – Scar thought to himself. And then he smiled very politely.

-"Oh yes, a _horse_! That's right! We don't see many _horses_ where I'm from. Only zebras. In that case, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, mister _horse_. I myself am a lion. King of the beasts, as they say, _heh-heh_. So I was wondering if you could tell me…"

-"I know what you are" – said the horse, turning his long muzzle Scar's way with a blank expression – "And I'm not supposed to talk to you."

He wasn't. As soon as the man who rode the horse saw that his mount was turning its head in the wrong direction, he gave it the spurs. Scar saw a delicate twitch of pain in the stallion's eyes, although he didn't make a single sound. The rider sped up to a trot and they were gone.

 _Damn –_ cursed the lion. – _That was so close, too._

During the course of the travel, he noticed that there were also other cages such as his own in the column. He desperately wanted to know what was in them, as sometimes he thought he was hearing or smelling other lions. Although he was unsure if that was because there were more members of his species in the caravan, or because his imagination was playing tricks on him.

But he didn't try speaking to the horse just because he was lonely. Primarily, Scar wanted to know how long he would have to stay in his cursed prison- and where exactly he was being taken to. Not knowing these things made him feel very uneasy.

Evening came and, like the past night and the night before that, the humans broke camp and started feeding their animals. The lion got him bowl of water and his chicken. As he lay down on the wooden floor of his cage, chewing the meat sluggishly and listening to the moaning of the camels which he'd already gotten used to, suddenly he noticed that there was some sort of a commotion near one of the bonfires.

-" _Alssariq! Alssariq!_ " – a man yelled as if he were possessed.

Curious of what was going on, Scar dropped his hen and moved closer to the bars of the cage. The human who was causing the uproar was the one who rode the horse. He was looking for something in his saddlebags, screaming to the high heavens.

 _Poor mister horse. Are you in trouble again?_ – wondered the lion. And then he noticed that the angry rider was not arguing with his stallion, but with another man.

 _-"Alssariq!"_ – he yelled straight in the other guy's face, heavily gesticulating. - _"Qate yadah! Qate yadah!"_

Things were getting really interesting. Ready to finally see some entertainment, Scar sat back with a malevolent smirk on his face.

- _"Alkadhdhab!"_ – retorted the accused man. – _"Waldduk ladayh zawjat wahidat faqat!"_

- _"Lahm alkhinzir khatam!"_ – the rider kept yelling as he pushed him back. – _"Yumkin li'amk alqira'at walkitaba!"_

As the lion wondered what this delightful fuss was all about, the whole camp gathered around the two men. The light of the fires reflected from their wavy white gowns which fluttered in the wind. Horses' eyes gleamed in the dark.

It seemed that the horseman had accused his comrade of theft. _As unequipped by nature as they are, humans seem greatly attached to material property -_ Scar thought.

-" _Ana sawf daghadghat lak!"_ – the second human screamed, thoroughly enraged. He looked terribly offended by the rider's accusation. Making the other men gasp, he pulled out some curved object, which looked like a long metal claw or an elephant tusk.

 _Oh my, that thing looks dangerous!_ – laughed the astonished lion. – _Clearly, unequipped by nature doesn't mean unequipped at all… I wonder what happens now?_

For a moment, everyone stood still. The rider looked at his challenger in silence, making the tension rise… Then he unsheathed his own saber, which glistered red from the fires in the night.

 _-"_ _Sawf alrramal aibtilae alddam…"_ – he whispered, and attacked.

The two blades clashed with a clangor Scar had not heard before in his life. Metal grated against metal, casting bright sparks which danced around like fireflies.

 _Hey! This is even more fun that watching hyena fights!_ – thought the lion, sitting on the edge of his cage, his mouth agape. _– I just wonder how they are able to maintain their balance, standing on only two legs like that?_

The swordsmen circled around each other in the midst of the cheering crowd, swinging their sabers in the air with a fair amount of finesse. They were obviously taking their time, each trying to estimate the other fighter's capabilities and intimidate him.

Then the accused man charged at the rider with a battle cry and a daring slash from the left shoulder. The horseman, however, was no rookie swordfighter himself. Fencing skillfully, he managed to parry his opponent's attacks and force him to defend himself.

The cheering intensified. After another series of impressive, swift slashes, jabs and counters, Scar noticed something interesting. Namely, the voices he heard did not belong to humans alone. Around the camp, also the burden animals were chanting, as well as others, too… And he had a feeling that he was hearing sounds made by lions.

 _Yes! Finally_! – Scar smiled inwardly. – _Now I know what's in the other cages! So I'm not alone, after all. With a little luck, maybe I'll be able to communicate with those lions somehow._

He strained his ears. The shouting he heard seemed like a chaotic cacophony at first, but as he listened while the humans kept fighting, he was able to make out more and more.

-"Kill him! Kill him!" – screamed someone.

-"Stab him in the gut!" – demanded another one.

-"Cut off his tongue!" – yelled a third voice.

-"Kill him, cut off his tongue, then stab his tongue! And trim that scraggly beard!" – Scar joined the choir, letting himself be carried away by the thrill of battle.

The cheering went on until the two swordsmen clashed with one another and were locked in a deadly dance, each struggling to knock the other one out of balance. Then all the creatures in the camp held their breath. It looked like the rider was stronger, as he was able not only to push the other man away from himself, but also make him trip… and fall straight into one of the bonfires with his back side.

 _As I predicted. Only two feet. Very clumsy_ – thought Scar.

The human screeched from pain and sprung back up to his feet like a skipping antelope. Laughter could be heard all around the camp. He moved away by a few steps, examining if his clothes didn't catch fire. He was in luck- they didn't. All this time, the fighter managed to keep holding on to his sword.

Wanting to use this moment to his advantage, the rider rushed at the other man with a swish of his saber. His opponent wasn't ready to parry the attack just yet, but in the nick of time, he used a trick which might have saved his life. Namely, he kicked the sand with his shoe, throwing it straight into the attacker's face.

 _Smart move! I would've done the same in his situation! –_ Scar thought, quite impressed.

The horseman, blinded, cursed as he spat out the dirt. But it was already too late.

The man accused of theft thrust the blade of his sword right into the rider's chest, impaling him. A stream of blood flowed down his belly and the legs of his pants. The prosecutor dropped his own saber, groaned, and fell to the ground.

Men gasped, and then suddenly fell silent. Scar noticed that the rider's horse was smiling dourly.

As the victor cleaned his blade with the dead man's clothes, the lion looked up toward the starry sky.

 _Well, I guess the winner was innocent, after all_ – he addressed the Old Kings. – _Then again, maybe he wasn't? Maybe he was just more clever? And which of these two is more important, in the end?_

The rider was quickly buried in the desert sands. No one said anything anymore that night.

* * *

 **AN: Arabian niiights like Arabian daaays… XD**

 **Let me translate the dialogue between the two Bedouin men for you. It consists mainly of popular Arabic curses.**

 ** _-Thief! Thief! Cut off his hand!_**

 ** _-Liar! Your father has only one wife!_**

 ** _-You pork chop! Your mother can read and write!_**

 ** _-I'll tickle you!_**

 ** _-The sand will swallow blood._**

 **So the** **Arab merchansts are taking Scar and the other animals to... somewhere. Where is that? When will they get there? You'll find out more in the next chapter.**

 **Fav's and reviews greatly appreciated ;)**


	4. Emporium

**CAPUT IV – EMPORIUM** (The Marketplace)

 _(Scar)_

Having found out that there were other captive lions travelling in his column, Scar performed many attempts to communicate with them. But, unfortunately, after the incident with the rider, the caravan always traveled in a straight line, and he was unable to see anything in front or behind him but the backs and muzzles of camels.

For a long time, all that surrounded them on the road was the desert. Scar quickly grew tired of his cage, the sight of sand dunes, and not being able to speak to anyone. He slept through whole days to ease his frustration. Then, on other occasions, he would become sick of it all and try to break free from his chains somehow. But when he did that, the humans came and beat him with rods or punished him by not giving him any food.

He lost track of time after day twenty-two (or twenty-three, he wasn't sure). The cage, the chain and the camels became his whole world. The only thing he had left, that still connected him to his past life, were his thoughts. But his memories were now far behind, his dreams, plans and aspirations turned to ash. He couldn't think of much apart from when his imprisonment would finally be over, and thus thinking also became torture after enough time. His sharp wits, which had always been his main weapon, have now become completely blunt and useless.

One day, the caravan stopped at the foot of a large dune for some reason. As Scar didn't care much for overlays anymore, he continued what had become his favorite pass-time for most of the past week- biting one of the wooden bars of his cage. Although doing that left splinters in between his teeth, by now he had peeled off about half-an-inch of wood. He estimated that, at this rate, he should be able to free himself in approximately two or three years. Provided he survived that long.

A man came to the cage with his daily bowl of water. But when he saw Scar chewing at the wood, he hesitated.

-" _What_?" – the lion asked, spitting out the sawdust, although he knew well that humans and animals couldn't understand each other.

The guard didn't look too happy about what Scar was doing. He expressed that by spouting the water right in Scar's face instead of letting him drink it. Then he just laughed and walked away.

The infuriated lion, who had already been in a lousy mood before the guard did that, fell into a real frenzy. He cried out with a litany of curses, scratching the inside of the cage and jerking his chain, sprinkling the floor with drops falling from his wet mane. But the more he pulled, the more his collar cut into his skin. And the more it hurt, the more angry he became.

 _-"… you pathetic curs!"_ – his rant went on. – _"We're in the middle of a bloody desert and you're stupid enough to douse water on me?! I hope you all die of thirst! Let me out! I'll bite your heads off!"_

As Scar continued his futile attempts to break the cage down, the caravan started moving again. Wagon after wagon, camel after camel, the column moved over the top of the sandy hill. And then, in spite of his overwhelming anger, the lion saw something that made him cease.

The top of a palm tree.

On the other side of the dune, there was on oasis. That was the first sight that actually made Scar feel better in many, many days.

 _Oh good. Is this where I get off?_ – he thought, making sure not to get his hopes up too much.

The oasis looked pretty typical to him- it was made up of palms and grass growing around a pool of fresh water. The only thing that was unusual was that it was inhabited by humans. There were both males and females, living in artificial shelters made of the same material as their fake furs. There were also goats, chickens and dogs running all around the settlement.

 _These wretched creatures are the humans' property!_ – he understood.

He tried speaking to some of them, but the livestock was afraid of him and the dogs ignored him. That made him angry again.

In the end, to Scar's great disappointment, it turned out that the caravan was only passing through. The humans replenished their supply of food and water, rested for the night, and moved out into the desert first thing in the morning.

 _Oh great, it's back to sand, chickens and dromedary arses again. Uhhhhh…_ \- complained the lion with a troubled sigh, lying down on the floor again to fall asleep and rid himself of his gloomy thoughts. But before closing his eyes, he noticed that there were little spots of fresh blood on the surface of the floor. And the blood was his. The back of his neck was bleeding from the leather collar which bound him.

 _Will I die?_ – he wondered. – _Will I bleed to death? Will my wound fester, putting me on the threshold of oblivion, but keeping me in a state of agony for days before letting me cross it?_

He thought of a dying lioness from his pride he saw as a cub. She had been injured during a hunt, but days after that happened, she was still alive, slowly eaten away by gangrene and maggots which infested her festering wounds. His mother took him away from her, but he was still having nightmares for weeks afterwards.

He quickly shook off that horrible memory.

 _No –_ he decided. – _I will not die until I have my vengeance. I will make my wrath become my strength... as it always has._

And so, powered by his lust for revenge on the humans, Scar let himself be taken to wherever it was the caravan was headed. After ten more days, they reached another oasis. And then, after six more, a third one. And then another…

After the fifth stopover, the landscape changed a bit. From behind the bars of his cage, Scar was now seeing much more plant life. One night, the caravan was attacked by a leopard which killed one of the camels. Scar considered that to be quite funny, until the humans ambushed the leopard, stabbed it to death with their spears, and skinned it before his very eyes…

A little worried after seeing that, Scar discovered that the caravan was now travelling faster. It was because the roads in this land were better- man-made, beaten, and paved with smooth cobblestones.

He was entering human territory.

To the lion's surprise, the caravan began to pass by other groups of travelers on the way- different species of humans with beasts, wagons and property, on their way to who knows where. Unlike his captors, most of them had their faces uncovered. After a few days, the road simply became crowded with them. As much as Scar was able to see, they were all coming from some place beyond what seemed like a tall wall. And the caravan was headed there as well.

 _What is this, some kind of a human den?_ – he thought to himself, perplexed. – _Is that where we're all going to?_

As they went past the massive gate made of rock and wood, Scar saw that, indeed, he was entering a human den. Or, rather, a human _hive_.

Yes, he had heard rumors that humans lived in large herds in settlements which they built for themselves from stones and mud. But he had never seen one, and never, even in his dreams, did he imagine that these places could be so vast, busy and filled with a whole kaleidoscope of colors, sounds and scents.

As his cage moved through one of the main streets, he marveled at the humans' artificial caves, some of them as tall as a giraffe or even taller, inhabited by men of all possible shapes and sizes, draped in clothes of all the colors of the rainbow. There must have been thousands of them, and they were all running, screaming, buying, selling, dancing, fighting- like hyenas in an overgrown pack. He was now in the midst of their herd- fully in their power.

They brought him to a place where there were no buildings, only shacks made of sticks and large, wooden platforms. Near those platforms stood cages, similar to his own, containing creatures of all sorts- baboons, warthogs, wild dogs, hyenas, cheetahs, predators he'd never even seen before in his life…

And lions. Dozens of males and females, most of them young and strong, but also some weak, wounded, desperate ones- and all of them furious, snarling, scratching the doors of their cages with their claws and baring their sharp fangs for the humans' amusement.

 _Oh, if you would only let us all out! We would have feasted on your corpses for weeks!_ – thought Scar, and started banging at the bars of his own cage to ease the unbearable feeling of being cornered like a hunted antelope.

The choir of human and animal sounds in the market was deafening to the extent that Scar couldn't even hear himself roar. All the different scents were making his head spin. But then…

He felt something very, very unlikely. A smell he remembered all too well. After a quarter of a second, it was gone, replaced by the stink of a thousand other creatures. He turned his head desperately, trying to find it again. But it was gone.

 _Could it be…?_ Or was he imagining things?

All around him, there were cages with lions in them. Looking to his side, he caught the eyes of some lioness who must have been two years old at most. She was growling with an expression of rage on her young face, but he could see that she was completely frightened.

-"Where are we?" – he asked, but his words were drowned by the surrounding racket.

And then, all of a sudden, the front of his cage opened with a creak.

No word had enough time to form in his mouth, no thought except for the instant, automatic reaction- _run_.

He jumped up from the floor, feeling the familiar pain caused by his collar. Drops of blood ran down the hair of his mane. He wrenched his head around with a growl, trying to get it off. The pain intensified.

Humans from the caravan appeared before him. One was holding a long pole with a crooked metal claw at the end, with which he tried to hook the leather band around his neck. The lion tried to dodge, promising the men certain death if they even touched him. But then another one grabbed something that looked like the tail of a rat, and began lashing him with it.

Scar was surprised by how much pain that caused. The whip was tearing holes in his skin, and he was starting to lose the clarity of his reason from suffering and wrath. Finally, he let himself be hooked.

The second man put his scourge away and, somehow, with a single movement of his hand, detached the chain which had imprisoned the lion for so long. The man with the pole pulled him out of the cage. Scar followed. He was weak from the travel and the poor food, and he desperately wanted to stretch his aching muscles and joints- to run, to jump, to kill.

But he was unable. As soon as he was out of the cage, he was surrounded by half a dozen other men with spears. When he tried to attack the one who was holding the pole attached to his collar, he was whipped again. The piercing, burning pain in his back almost made him stumble.

 _-"RAH!" –_ he roared in rage. – "What… is this? Where are you… _taking me_?!"

Then someone hit him on the face with a wooden baton. The world rolled around before his eyes and he tasted blood. After that he received many more blows from several directions- in the back, in the ribs, in the legs… He understood the lesson. Before long, he completely stopped struggling.

The fact that he could hardly as much as snarl back at the humans in his present state, now that he was finally out of his cursed prison, embarrassed him and almost drove him insane. He barely remembered how to walk, so the guard with the rod basically had to drag him. And he was taking him to the top of the wooden platform.

When Scar finally stood there in the sun, above the heads of the crowd, he saw hundreds of eyes gazing at him. The feeling was nearly paralyzing. Turning around in shock, he noticed more platforms like these, where men were taking the animals which they brought here in cages to let the others watch them as they loudly argued about something.

Then Scar realized the truth.

 _By all the stars… They brought us here to sell us! We're only property to them, just like dogs! They are treating us as their slaves!_

The hair on his back bristled. Lifting his head toward the sky, he addressed the Ancients with a disdainful rebuke.

 _Behold! You have me crushed! Are you satisfied now?_

He let out a deep, powerful howl- the greatest expression of wrath he was now capable of.

That caught the attention of one of the humans below, a fat male without a single hair on his head, dressed in a white gown and accompanied by two others in very unusual outfits. They came up to one of the veiled guards from the caravan.

-"Latinae loqueris?" – asked the bald man. The Arab nodded.

Not too convinced if the answer was all that sincere, the merchant pointed at the lion cages.

-"Hi leones meridiani. Quid multa?"

The veiled fellow smiled and showed him Scar. He started saying something, but the baldy gestured as if he didn't like what he was being told.

-"Non! Minime! Hunc nolo. Nimis infirmus videtur."

The seller began gesticulating even more.

-" _La! La!_ Domne!"– he argued, spitting out words in different languages with a heavy accent. – "Pulcher, pulcher! Rarus, fortis, ferox! _Kale liontari_!"

The fat man lost his patience and grabbed the Arabian by the edge of his cloak.

-" _AUDI!_ Leonem cum coma nigra _nolo_! _Respice_!" – he pulled him over to one of the cages, out of Scar's sight.

 _These humans get angry very easily_ – he thought, still standing on the platform in confusion. – _I hope they kill one another_.

-"Iste mas rufus, quid multa?" – the merchant yelled again, pointing at something.

-" _Oooo_ , iste? Magnus? Iste…Ekato, kyrie. Ekato."

-" _Ekato_? Centum?! Eheu, insane! Quinquas leaenas possum emere pro cento! Abi ad malam rem, caput mantelatum…"

He was about to walk away, but then the seller panicked.

-" _La! La tadhhab_ , kyrie!" – he cried, blocking the bald man's way. Then he put up two fingers and basically stuck them in the merchant's face.– "Ekato! Ekato!"

-"Cessa, idiota!" – responded the irritated man, slapping the Arab's hand. – " _Hm_ , quid vis dicere? Ambo centum? Rufus et niger?"

The seller nodded energetically.

-" _Nem fielaan!_ Dyo ekato! Bonum… negotium? Certo, certo?"

The fat human came over to the platform again and looked Scar in the eyes, getting an angry snarl as a response. He snorted, and turned toward the Arabian.

-"Bene. Octaginta quinque pro duos."

-"Amice! Tibi… ekato… choris deka."

-"Bene!"

The men shook each other's hands.

 _It appears that I have just been sold_ \- thought Scar, rolling his eyes. – _How humiliating…_

The merchant gave the Bedouin his money and turned toward his soldiers.

-"Uterque ducite. Et nolite nocere!"

The men dressed in armor walked up the steps of the platform. The member of the caravan who was holding the pole attached to Scar's collar gave it to one of them. The lion did not fight, but walked obediently, following his new masters. But as he went past the old one who had just sold him, he suddenly pounced at him. Before the collar choked him again, Scar was able to tear the man's pants with his claws. A few red stains appeared on the white material.

-" _'Ant alshshaytan!"_ – yelled the frighten Arabian, almost falling over to the ground.

-"So that you remember me" – the lion growled at him as the soldiers pulled him away. His neck was bleeding again, but it was worth it.

Surprisingly, this time no one hit him on the head with a stick. The fat merchant started laughing, mocking the one whom he'd just made the deal with.

-" _Hahaha_! Ecce carnifex! Vere dixisti! Qualis fortis est et ferox!"

These new humans lead Scar through the market, threatening him with their spears if he tried to struggle too much. But by now, the lion had enough of it all. As he passed by other places where lions were being bought and sold, causing the bystanders to cautiously step away from him, all he could think of was how silly the guards who now owned him looked in their feathered helmets and leather breastplates with fake nipples.

 _If there's one thing that's worse than being a slave, it's being the slave of a foolish master –_ he thought to himself with resignation.

The humans took him to the back of the market, where open cages and wagons stood, waiting to be loaded with live merchandise. The one they stopped by was basically a wooden box- it didn't even have bars in it, only solid wooden walls.

-"If you think I'm going in there, you're wrong" – Scar uttered, again forgetting that they couldn't understand him.

One of the soldiers went behind the wagon for a while, and then came back… holding a fresh lamb chop. With a smile, the man threw it inside the cage.

The lion felt his stomach making an irresistible demand.

-"Well, if you put it that way…"

He walked in peacefully, and at once heard the sound of shutting doors behind his back. He was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

 **AN: First of all, I need to translate the foreign dialogue in this chapter. I love languages, especially ancient ones, but I promise that this is the last chapter in this story that has foreign parts this long!**

 **The Roman merchant is speaking Latin (which is a simplification, because the common language of trade in those days would have most likely been Koine Greek) while the Arabian is trying to communicate in a mix of Arabic, Latin and Greek. What they are saying is roughly this:**

 **The Roman says: - "Do you speak Latin?" Then: "These southern lions. How much?" And: "No, no! I don't want this one! He looks too weak."**

 **The Arab answers: - "No! No! Sir! Beautiful, beautiful! Rare, strong, ferocious! Good lion!"**

 **-"LISTEN TO ME! I don't want the lion with the black mane!** _ **Look**_ **!" Then: "This red male, how much?"**

 **-"Oooo, this one? The big one? This one… one hundred, sir. One hundred."**

 **-"One hundred? One hundred?! Woe to you, insane man! I can buy five lionesses for a hundred! Go get cancer, towel-head…"**

 **-"No! Don't go, sir! One hundred! One hundred!"**

 **-"Stop that, you idiot!** _ **Hm**_ **, what are you trying to say? One hundred for both? The red one and the black one?"**

 **-"That's right! Two for one hundred! Good… deal? Certainly, certainly?"**

 **-"Agreed. Eighty-five for the two of them."**

 **-"My friend! For you… one hundred… minus ten."**

 **-"Good!" Then: "Take both of them. And do not harm them!"**

 **When Scar rips the Arab's pants, he yells: - "You devil!"**

 **The Roman answers: - "** _ **Hahaha**_ **! Behold the slayer! You were right! How strong and ferocious is he!"**

* * *

 **The second issue about this chapter is this- now that we've reached this fourth, tragic part of my story, I wish to disclose to you, dear readers, the** **true reason of my work** **.**

 **This story is an allegory, and my personal protest against what Disney is planning to do with the Lion King in its live-action animated remake.**

 **Several decades ago, and even as far as the 90's, the art of cinematography was way different than it is now. Sure, it was meant to provide people with entertainment, but it also carried certain values and a message with it. It was like real theater, and could be compared to poetry. Right now, much of that is gone. Theater has become like the arenas of corrupt and pagan ancient Rome- the goal of the show has been reduced to an emotional thrill, to soothing the mob's desires, and to profit.**

 **The Lion King is a standard example of 'old' cinema- a good, clean, fun children's film, loved also by adults for its value as Disney's greatest wide-screen creation.**

 **But now, things are about to change… And although we still don't know what exactly is going to be in the remake, the very idea seems not only unnecessary, but downright wrong. I mean, if you try to fix something that works, you may end up ruining it! For 20 years since its creation, Disney has been modifying the Lion King canon by sequels, side stories, and most recently, the 'Lion Guard' show, beating the original film like a lion-shaped piñata with cash in it. I'm afraid that with this new CGI production, this piñata might finally shatter…**

 **The cruel fate of our beloved Lion King characters in my story symbolizes what Disney is doing to the franchise. Mufasa and Scar have just been sold on the marketplace of cinema to a vicious, hungry superpower that seeks profit at all cost. They will now be made to do the humans' bidding, to provide the crowd with mindless entertainment. And whether they live or die on the sands of the arena, depends on what Mickey Mouse puts in this upcoming remake.**

 **But Disney forgot about one thing- lions bite back. So if they screw up the new movie, they will basically destroy the Lion King franchise (like they already did to Star Wars). Mufasa and Scar may die, but not before creating a huge hole in Disney's budget, caused by dissatisfied fans like you and I.**

 **So keep on reading, and keep your eyes peeled for what the heck is Disney going to do with our favorite characters when he squeezes them into the tight cage of CGI.** **The course of this story depends on it.**


	5. Somnia et Insomnia

**CAPUT V – SOMNIA ET INSOMNIA** (Dreams and Nightmares)

 _(Mufasa)_

 _As king of the Pridelands, you will be responsible for every living creature in your kingdom. And especially for your pride._

His father's word sounded in his mind. Words from long ago- from before he really became king. Right now, he was seeing not only the view of his whole domain, as if seen from the top of Pride Rock, but also his beloved queen and their precious, beautiful newborn son- his own heir and successor, who was lying safely in her embrace.

 _Oh, Sarabi… Simba… Come, come to me!_

They both heard his voice and turned to look at him. But why were their expressions so sad…? Why were their eyes filled with such fear and such… disappointment?

 _Sarabi! Simba! No!_

He wanted to run to them. He wanted more than anything to hold them, protect them, be by their side. But as he ran, he wasn't moving toward them- he was being pulled away from them by some unseen power, no matter how hard he struggled. And slowly, second after second, their image became smaller and smaller.

 _HAHAHAHA…!_

What was that? Whose was this wicked laughter he heard, taunting him so mercilessly although he wasn't even able to move?

 _Stop! Wait…! I'm trying to, I'm doing all I can to go back…_

 _WAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHA…!_

He didn't see them anymore. They were gone, miles and miles away, beyond thousands of sand dunes, hundreds of oases and dozens of mountain ranges. Alone. Without him. There were heavy bars and creatures with metal claws separating him from all it was his life's purpose to defend.

But whom did this unbearable laughter come from? _Father…? I'm sorry, I failed you…_

 _Hahahaha…_

No. It was someone else.

He finally recognized its sound. He knew it too well. But why was he hearing it now? Did _he_ have anything to do with all of this? No… Couldn't have… He was far away… Right?

 _Oh, my dear brother… This may be the first time in my life that I am actually glad to see you!_

 _Scar_?! Where was he? Was it him who was responsible for this… _horror_?

All Mufasa was seeing was darkness, and all he could feel was pain. An overwhelming, omnipresent pain accompanied by the feeling of moving away farther and farther from his kingdom.

… _and you know what that means, right?_ – the jeering voice of Scar continued saying - _You know me! I can't possibly be glad to see you! Certainly not after all that had happened! Obviously, this is all a dream. Nothing but a dark, pesky nightmare you're going to wake up from as soon as I snap my fingers._

SNAP!

Mufasa opened his eyes, but could still see nothing. He did feel things, however- and the things he felt, he didn't like at all.

-"If this is a dream… why am I sore all over?" – he asked, barely able to speak.

-" _Hahaha_!" – answered the voice from the darkness which had his brother's scent. – "Dear Mufasa, you're not paying attention. I just told you, this is no ordinary dream. This is a _nightmare_. And the nature of nightmares is that they are unpleasant. Even _you_ should know this. Even _you_ , the walking pattern of perfection, must have nightmares sometimes, right? Then again, perhaps you've never had. Well, welcome to the first one, if that is the case."

The mockery of Scar's voice made his temples ache. But much worse than that was the piercing pain he felt all over his body in his muscles and joints. Indeed, it seemed that even his hair hurt.

The ground under his feet, which was still moving, suddenly rocked more intensively than before. A thin stream of light fell through some crack and for a brief second Mufasa saw his brother's black mane amongst the gloom.

-"What… happened?" – he groaned, struggling to lift his head.

-"Oh, not much, really. It's all in your head. You imagined that humans were trying to put you in a cage, so you attempted to kill them. Can't blame you for that. Of course, since they had you on a chain, they immediately beat the living daylight out of you, and threw you inside the cage anyway… You've no idea how surprised I was to see _you_ of all the lions in the world, my dear Muffy! _Hahaha_!"

 _Wait a minute… Humans? Cage? Chain?!_

The whole horrible truth was coming back to him. With another painful groan, he reached to his neck with a paw. And, feeling the collar around it, he released an angry moan.

Scar laughed again. Mufasa heard his brother's pawsteps as he came over to sit right next to him.

-" _May you be caged! May you be collared!"_ – he said. – "We used these expressions back home as a form of a curse. You can't even guess how often I addressed you this way in my thoughts… Seems one needs to always watch out what he wishes for. Life's not fair, but it does not lack a sense of irony. I got what I wanted… but, sadly, in the process, I ended up caged and collared myself. Now here we are, two lions in a box."

This time, Mufasa stretched out his arm toward Scar. Pawing in the darkness, he touched his chest, his mane… and then he felt the leather belt around his brother's neck. His digits locked, and he pulled him closer with all the strength he had left.

-"This is no dream…" – he growled through clenched fangs, anger sparking from his brown eyes in the darkness of their cage.

-"No. Again, this is what's called a nightmare. In my own nightmares, you've always been the main character. But now it seems that also you can't experience one without me being in it."

Mufasa let him go, howling from the weight of the suffering he's been carrying for the past weeks, which he now felt anew.

-" _Rah_! I am… the king of the Pridelands! I have to go back to my land! To my family!"

But Scar was unaffected by his brother's complaints. He stooped down to whisper in his ear, and said:

-"You _were_ the king of the Pridelands, brother. Right now, you're nothing but a human slave."

The facts have returned to him now. Visions of his captors, of the caravan, of the marketplace in the human hive… Scar was right. Both of them have been sold and were now in their masters' power, far away from home. The feeling of failure filled his heart like a bitter accusation, biting deeper than the bruises which the guards had inflicted on him…

But then there was Scar. He was here, and although he continued to act like his own cynical self, he was still his brother, after all. Right…?

With another loud groan, Mufasa pushed himself up to sit. His head was spinning and all of his body hurt, but he succeeded in his endeavor. Then he turned toward Scar again.

-"You've got to help me" – he pleaded desperately. – "I _must_ get back to the kingdom!"

-"Oh, _now_ you need me?" – answered the younger brother irreverently, then turned around and went over to lie down by the back wall of their wagon. – "Even if I _did_ help you, there would be nothing we could do. These walls are solid wood, we can't chew or scratch a hole in them. If you attack the humans, they'll beat you worse than last time. Or kill you. Mind you, I don't exactly _like_ the humans for imprisoning me, either. I'll kill them whenever they give me a chance. But I will _not_ commit suicide by letting myself get foolishly slain by them!"

 _Why does he always have to contradict anything I say, even now?_ – Mufasa thought angrily.

-"I _will_ escape, Scar. I _will_ find a way out. And if you choose to stay in your cage, I will not drag you along with me!"

-" _Puh_!" – snorted the younger lion flippantly. – "If you have any brains left at all, you best stop dreaming and forget about the Pridelands. Your reign is over, _your majesty_."

Mufasa responded without a moment of hesitation, pounding the wooden floor of their cage with his strong kingly paw. Then he roared:

-" _Never_!"

* * *

 **AN: Hooray! First chapter from Mufasa's perspective!**


	6. Dialogus Fraternus

**CAPUT VI – DIALOGUS FRATERNUS** (Fraternal Dialogue)

 _(Mufasa)_

-„How did they manage to catch you?" – he continued speaking to Scar despite his brother's scornful attitude and his own intolerable headache.

The younger lion snorted.

-"Oh, you know. About three dozen humans surrounded me. I was able to kill half of them, but in the meantime the rest tied me up and threatened to cut my balls off if I didn't let them put a collar around my neck. You can probably guess what I chose."

Such was Scar's version of the events from the first chapter of this story. But after Mufasa gave him his 'I know you're lying' look, he decided to alter his report.

-"Oh, alright! I fell into a ditch covered with twigs. As soon as I was able to crawl out of it, someone hit me on the back of the head with a club. _Are you satisfied_?"

But the older lion continued to look at him without a word.

-"I bet that, unlike myself, _you've_ had a real battle fit for a king before the humans managed to lock you up!" – Scar said in a dramatic tone, mocking him.

Mufasa only sighed. He still couldn't forgive himself for how careless he was that day.

-"No, actually. I was ambushed, just like yourself. Someone threw a net on me while I was on patrol close to the western border of the Pridelands."

-"A _net_?" – Scar jeered. – "I can hardly believe something like _that_ managed to bind the famous mighty Mufasa!"

The embarrassed king lowered his head. He could easily become angry with Scar and order him to shut up… if only his brother wasn't right.

-"Yes… I'm afraid that was what happened. I did all I could to break free, but I was like a fly in a spider's web. Later the dark-skinned men delivered me to the ones with veiled faces, who chained me and put me on a wagon. Then our journey through the desert began, and you probably know what happened after that…"

When his brother didn't respond, Mufasa thought that Scar was ignoring him. But after a while, though not wanting to give him the impression that he cared, the younger lion said:

-"Where were you in the column?"

-"Close to the rear."

-"I was almost all the way up front. Haven't you heard me roaring throughout the whole journey?"

Mufasa looked surprised. Embarrassed, he mumbled:

-"No…"

Scar was almost ready for some mocking remark to ridicule his sibling's inadvertence, but then the first lion finished his sentence.

-"… and haven't you heard _my_ roars?"

-"I…" – stammered the younger brother, crestfallen. – "I did hear _something_ , but I weren't sure. I mean, what were the chances of us ending up in the same caravan, anyway?"

 _The chances were extremely slim_ – thought the king, wishing he could see the sky to thank his Ancestors for at least giving him Scar for help. Even if he was no help at all, at the moment.

-"Did you see the two men fighting that one night?" – he remembered something.

-"Yes. Wasn't that fun…" – Scar responded without much enthusiasm. – "As was the night when the leopard killed a camel. Too bad he got stabbed to death himself soon afterward."

-"Did you see that the humans sold his pelt on the market before they sold us?"

-"Right, a dreadful thing to do. However, it was a nice pelt…"

Suddenly, men outside the wagon started screaming and the whole thing came to a halt. Not feeling the floor moving was a bit disorienting to both lions.

-"What's going on?" – Mufasa asked, alerted.

Scar didn't even as much as rise from the ground.

-"Oh, it's only another layover, most likely. By now you should have noticed that, just like us, humans can't eat or piss while walking at the same time. _Hm_ , I could go for another lamb chop right about now…"

-"They gave you a _lamb chop_?" – Mufasa inquired with distrust.

His brother finally stood up and stretched his bones with a crack.

-"Well, forgive me for not being as vicious a prisoner as yourself. I actually walked into this wagon voluntarily. I prefer being fed over receiving blows…"

Again, he was cut off by the sounds the humans outside were making. Before either of the brothers could prepare themselves, the back wall of their cage suddenly split in the middle.

Mufasa wanted very, very much to jump out and make a run for it as soon as that happened, but since the walls of their wagon hardly had any holes in them, he was instantly blinded by the sunlight which came through the open door. Before he was able to react, something hit him on the face and the gate was locked shut again.

-"What the… What is _this_?!" – he growled in confusion.

Scar came over to his side and examined the humans' gift. Then he sighed, completely disappointed.

-" _Chickens_. Oh, bloody hell…!"

Reluctantly, he started eating, but even though Mufasa was also extremely hungry, before doing the same, he felt like he needed to ask another question.

-"The sun… it was red. What time of day is it?"

-"Ah ont ow!" – his brother answered with a wing sticking out from the corner of his mouth. – "wate afwerwoon, obabwy?"

-"How long have I been asleep, then?"

-"Oh, about a day and a half" – Scar finished after swallowing.

 _This isn't good_ – Mufasa thought to himself. Each passing day meant that they were getting farther and farther from his kingdom and from his family. _But I will return, no matter how long it takes._

Having promised that to himself, he began eating his own chicken, despite that all the stress left his stomach completely cramped. But he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to fulfill his pledge if he starved to death.


	7. Alvus Humanus

**CAPUT VII – ALVUS HUMANUS** (The Human Hive)

 _(Mufasa)_

They were en route for five more days. During that time, whenever the humans opened the door of their cage, Mufasa was able to notice how bad his brother looked after such a long journey in those conditions. Scar, even though he was rather slim all his life, had lost a considerable amount of weight. The luster in his black mane, of which he had once been so proud, was now gone and replaced by dirt and tangles. He also had many fresh wounds and bruises, despite his declaration of having entered the cage voluntarily. But Mufasa knew his brother too well to assume that he was happy with their present position... and that made him feel concerned.

In spite of that, however, Scar refused to take part in any attempts of fleeing. "Forget about the Pridelands, _your highness_. It's all over" – he kept repeating, hurting Mufasa to the depths of his heart.

Once, the older lion proposed a reconciliation, offering to apologize if he ever did something wrong to his brother, as long as he would only tell him what it was. They've been fighting for so long, and it was high time to end it, for their own good. Their return to the Pridelands, if it was ever going to happen, depended on it.

In response to that, Scar only offered him a disdainful smirk.

There was no talking afterward. In order not to pour out the anger he felt on Scar, with whom he was now greatly resentful, Mufasa had to distract himself by thinking of his family. Oh, how he missed Sarabi! In the present circumstances, she must have become queen regent. He was sure she'd never thought she would be the acting ruler of all the Pridelands! His mate was always a good leader, but she had no desire for power. Under her, the kingdom was in good hands… as long as no other rebellious lion decides to seize the opportunity and claim the throne in his absence. Of that Mufasa didn't even want to think.

Then there was Simba. His firstborn. His successor. If he managed to return, somehow, would his son even remember him? For now, the king at least tried not to forget the slightest thing about him. By this time, Simba should be tall enough to bow his head while walking under his mother's belly. In a month or so, he would be eating meat. Mufasa hoped he was getting along with Nala, his betrothed, and that Zazu was teaching him well…

To his own embarrassment, he let his emotions take him over. Tears filled his eyes. Turing around to make sure that his brother was sleeping, he wiped them off.

Suddenly, he started hearing sounds all around. New scents appeared out of nowhere and it seemed as if their wagon was now surrounded by humans.

-"Scar! _Scar_! Wake up!" – he called his brother.

The younger lion groaned.

-" _Urr_ … Why are you disturbing my…"

-" _Shut up_!" – Mufasa cut him off, standing up and putting his ear against the wall. – "Listen. I think something's happening."

After sending him a glare of disdain, Scar followed the given instruction.

It sounded like they were in another man-hive. The wagon was moving slower than usual, and the uproar of the human mob reached them from all directions. They also recognized the voice of their new master as he was giving orders to his soldiers.

-"Do you think we've finally reached our destination?" – the older lion asked.

Scar responded after positioning himself in front of the cage's door.

-"I certainly hope so. Sitting in this bumpy old crate is already starting to give me a migraine. I almost miss watching the back sides of dromedaries all day long."

When the wagon did stop, the brothers stood side by side, awaiting what would happen.

-"I just wish they aren't going to sell us a second time and take us even farther away from the Pridelands" – Mufasa thought aloud.

-"Well, actually, we've already been sold twice."

-"Are you positive? When was the… Oh, never mind. Brace yourself, Scar. I think the men with the fake nipples are coming."

-"Just don't struggle too much like you did the last time. Remember that their snake-shaped weapons bite."

-"And so do _we_!"

As soon as the soldiers opened the cage, they heard a vicious snarl coming from the inside. But they were experienced in handling angry animals. That was why there were no windows in the wagon- so the beasts would first be blinded by the sunlight upon arrival. The men were also equipped with whips, grapnels, spears and other inventions which helped them lead the wild creatures wherever they wanted them to go.

Despite the lions' angry opposition, both of them were soon hooked by the links of their collars and dragged out of the cage into the sun. The first thing that Mufasa saw in this new locations were not man-made buildings, but sand. Underneath his paws and all around, there was sand.

 _Did they take us to some sort of a desert? And where are all the other humans?_ – he kept asking himself, roaring and slashing with his claws toward the soldier who was leading him at the same time.

Near where the wagon stood, there was some sort of a gaping hole in the ground, like a cave, with stony steps leading down into the bowels of the earth. That was where the humans were taking them. At this point, resistance was pretty much useless, so Mufasa decided not to waste his energy and only struggled with the men for show. Soon, him and his brother found themselves walking down the stairs into the dark pit, having the sharp edges of many spears behind their backs, forcing them to go even deeper.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, a long narrow corridor opened before them. And before they took more than a few paces down that passage, they heard a metallic sound. With a loud slam, an iron grating fell from the ceiling, cutting off their way of escape.

Both the lions turned around, looking at the metal bars with astonishment.

-"Well, isn't this nice" – Scar joked rather gloomily. – "I guess there's only one way to go now…"

Surrounded by darkness, silence, and the cold and moisture of stone, the brothers started walking through the tunnel that lay ahead, taking each step with utmost caution.

Mufasa didn't like situations like these, when he couldn't predict what would happen next. He felt greatly insecure, but of course he didn't let Scar see any of it.

After a while, he felt something that caught his attention.

-"Can you smell that?" – he whispered. – "There are other creatures nearby."

Scar rolled his eyes.

-"Yes, the whole place is _reeking_ with their stink. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. I do smell a fresh scent of lions, though. And I think they're females, too. Come, Muffy- perhaps we can make some new friends!"

Without a warning, the younger lion rushed ahead, leaving Mufasa behind.

-" _Wait_! You don't know what else is out there! _Uhhh_ …"

Groaning with discontent for his brother's lack of caution, he followed him to what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. What he saw there was Scar- standing with his chest puffed up and a grin on his face- looking at some two lionesses with collars around their necks who sat against the wall of what looked like a large cage with a set of bars on one side.

-"Well hello there" – Scar spoke to the females in a low purr. – "Nice to see such pretty faces in a place as foul as…"

SLAM!

The two new arrivals turned around instantaneously as another grating closed with a loud bang, frightening them as it locked them within the cell.

Completely stunned, they looked at each other… and then heard laughter.

 _WAHAHAHAAA…!_

They noticed that there were also other animals, very strange ones, sitting in the cages that were opposite their own. And all of them, along with the lionesses, were laughing at them in an unbearable chorus.

Mufasa turned his head in anguish, eyeing his dreadful surroundings. _This is some sort of a prison!_ – he realized.

And then, amongst the shadows of the cell right next to theirs, he saw something rise from the ground. A huge, hairy beast he'd never seen before in his life. He was used to being the largest predator in his kingdom, but this creature, this massive, overgrown _thing_ with fangs the size of pencils, was even bigger than him. Its throaty chortle filled the underground hall with noise.

-"HAHAHA!" – continued the beast. – "Welcome, rookie claws and fangs, our new fellow prisoners! Make yourselves at home in our _foul_ abode, for it is also your home now! We hope you'll enjoy it! HAHAHAAA!"

The others began laughing again, and Mufasa noticed that Scar was starting to lose his patience.

-"Oh, will you all _shut up_ and kindly offer us some explanation as to what in bloody hell is going on here?!" – the younger brother attempted to outshout the rest of the prisoners.

Finally, the huge beast took a deep breath before continuing to speak again.

-"Yeah, very well. Ought I proceed with the customary introduction?"

The two lionesses nodded.

-"Go right ahead!" – they both said, grinning. Then they looked at Mufasa and Scar as if watching their shock caused them pure pleasure.

-"Well…" – the creature cleared its throat and spoke solemnly. – "In that case, allow me to welcome you two fine examples of the lion species within the boundaries of the great Roman Empire. You are now in the western pens under the great amphitheater of our fine city…"

-"Wait" – Mufasa interrupted him, remembering something.

He'd heard about the Roman Empire- a great kingdom of the humans, which was made up of other kingdoms which they had conquered. But the capital of this Empire was far beyond the sea. Did this mean that they had really travelled all the way to Europe? If that was true, he doubted he would ever be able to return to Pride Rock, even if he was somehow able to escape.

-"Do you mean to tell us…" – Mufasa began, the fear almost choking him – "… that we are in Rome?"

A few seconds of difficult silence followed.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the big beast started laughing again. The other creatures quickly joined in.

-"That's _enough_!" – Scar yelled at them.

-"Ah, forgive us" – the beast apologized. – "I should have mentioned this earlier. A close shot, but you didn't quite hit the bull's-eye, my red-maned comrade. Rome is far north from here, on the other side of the Great Salt Water. Whereas we are in the fourth largest city in the Empire."

He then approached the metal gate of his cage and, standing on two feet, towering over their heads, hung his massive paws over the bars.

-"Dear claws and fangs, you are now in the capital and the armpit of all of Africa. Welcome to Carthage. We who are about to die, salute you!"


	8. Bestiae Carthaginis

**AN: In 'FbB', the brothers barely had any interaction with other animals in the ZOO.** **I'm planning on changing that in this fic.**

* * *

 **CAPUT VIII – BESTIAE CARTHAGINIS** (The Beasts of Carthage)

 _(Scar)_

The huge, hairy creature looked really impressive as it stood on its hind legs, leaning over the bars of its prison cell. But Scar was not someone who was as easily moved as his brother.

First of all, the animal may have been extremely large, but it wasn't because it was all made of muscle. When it moved, the younger lion noticed that it had thick folds of blubber around its waist. He doubted if an animal this fat could move very fast. And besides, it's fluffy ears and tail were so small that when someone took a closer look, the beast seemed rather harmless than frightening.

-" _We who are about to die_?" – Mufasa repeated the tall creature's words, looking very alerted. – "What do you mean by that?"

Scar rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. Obviously, his brother was taking a joke much too seriously.

-"Forgive us if we are a bit disoriented with this new location." – he addressed all the other animals in the pens – "My anxious comrade and I have been traveling for a very long time. Allow us to introduce ourselves. You can all call me Scar."

As he had predicted, his brother immediately wanted to join in and start explaining where they were from.

-"And my name is Mufasa. I am…"

-"We are two rogues from the south" – finished the younger lion, not letting the other one reveal his royal identity.

Mufasa gazed at him angrily.

-" _Nini mchezo ni wewe kucheza?_ " – the older lion whispered in the language which he knew only the two of them understood.

But Scar gave him no other answer than another one of his mocking grins.

 _I told you, Mufasa._ – he said in his thoughts. - _You are king of the Pridelands no longer._

-"You can adress my collegue as Muffy. Those old African names tend to be complicated. We met in the savannah and hunted together for a while, but the humans caught us both the same day, over two months ago" – Scar finished the introduction, leaving his brother wondering about what sort of plan he had in hiding their real identity. But despite his doubts, Mufasa swallowed the bait and held his tongue, at least for now. This way, the younger lion could go on.

-"Ladies" – he said with a smile, turning towards the two females that sat in the corner, eyeing both the new arrivals intensively. – "May I ask for your names, please? It would make conversation much easier."

The one that looked like she was older, no doubt a strong and experienced huntress, judging by her mighty set of muscles and a whole collection of scars, stood up and approached them first.

-"Greetings, Scar and Muffy" – she uttered almost in the form of a purr, staring straight into the brothers' eyes. – "Since you don't like long, complicated names, you can just call me Zidi. And this is Jo, my daughter."

The younger female, slick and slender, sat at her mother's side.

-"Hello there, southerners. I was beginning to wonder when I would finally have the chance to see other members of our kind again" – said she, observing the males with curiosity.

-"We've come from far away" – Mufasa finally decided to join in, glaring toward Scar in the corner of his eye to watch what his reaction would be to what he was saying. – "And where are you two from, if I may ask?"

The lioness named Jo giggled.

-"Why, from here, stupid! Where else?"

Zidi laughed together with her daughter, but then adressed Mufasa and Scar in an appologetic tone.

-"Sorry about that. She was born in this place, you see, and these walls have basically become her whole world. But if you're asking me, I came from the East. Jo and I are Persian lions. My Persian name is Warazydgy, and hers is Jawanan."

Scar had heard about the land of Persia, but before he was able to ask the lionesses another seductive question, his brother expressed his own concerns about their origin.

-"You were born in this prison, child?" – he asked, worried. – "Does this mean that you've never even known what freedom is?"

The young female looked greatly offended.

-" _Hmf_!" – she snorted. – "I'm not a child anymore, ya red jerk. I've survived this long cause I'm young, and my mom survived even longer cause she came here when she was as old as I am now! We'll see how long you'll still be breathin', _grandpa_..."

 _Way to make a good first impression, Muffy_ – Scar thought, laughing yet again into his brother's offended kingly countenance.

Then he went over to the bars of the lion cage and adressed the creature that was held in the opposite one.

-"You over there, behemoth! How about you tell us something about yourself now, since you've been so pollite to welcome us in this prison, _hm_?"

The big beast laughed again and sat down on his butt in a most comical manner.

-" _Heh-heh_ , thought you'd never ask. Yeah, I've noticed how you two rookie clawsnfangs are gazing at me. Just like most African lions that come here, actually. Never seen anything like me, ey? _Heh-heh_. I'm what's called a 'bear'. A brown bear, to be exact, and I am the only one here who came from the north- from the lands of the barbarians beyond the borders of the Roman Empire. Everyone calls me Ursus."

-"So you weren't born in a cage?" – Mufasa inquired.

-"No, old fat-ass was born in a forest!" – Zidi answered for him, laughing.

The bear picked up the joke.

-" _Ha_! Jealous, clawsnfangs? I'm 100% germanic quality, born and raised in the beautiful mountain ranges of southern Germania."

As Ursus was showing off the fake fat muscles on his body, making the lionesses chortle, Scar noticed that the animal which was held inside the cage on the left of the lion pen was observing them carefully, but never said a single word. The lion took a few steps to talk to the weird feline. He looked pretty much like any other leopard, with the exception that he was completely black- all of his fur had the color of pitch, and it seemed that the only part of his body that had any color at all were his greenish-yellow eyes that shone in the darkness of the underground chamber.

-"And what in the world are _you_?" – asked the lion.

The black panther remained silent... but it also looked at Scar in a way that made even him feel uneasy. It seemed as if this dark creature knew him somehow, and that he was accusing him of something with the blank, cold look of his glowing eyes...

He flinched as a shiver ran down his spine. But then he heard a voice that came from another cage.

The prison chamber was divided into four quarters- two larger ones, one in front of the other, in which the lions and the bear were held. The other two were narrower and made for only a single beast. One of them was the black panther, and the other one was another feline which Scar could not recognize.

-"He never talks" – said the reddish animal with black stripes. – "We've tried asking him questions, but it's no use. We just call him Pardus."

-"And you are...?" – Scar approached the bars of their cage to take a closer look at his interlocutor.

The creature was only slightly smaller than a lion, but the colors of its fur were simply extraordinary to the eyes of anyone from Africa.

 _These beast have terrible camouflage!_ – thought Scar.

-"My name is Shaheed, but you can call me Burns" – he introduced himself, demonstraiting his white sideburns of which he was visibly proud, but which were nothing comparable to a lion's mane. – "I'm a Bengal tiger and, like my black comrade over there, I came from India."

-"Well, my friends" – Mufasa spoke, attempting to break the ice with these strange beasts from all around the world that were gathered here for some reason. – "It's good to see that we're not the only ones here who are far away from home. Perhaps we could help each other out, somehow?"

Surprisingly, a strange silence followed.

 _Ooh, you're in trouble, Muffy. I don't think they want to play with you_ – Scar estimated, judging by everyone's expression.

-"Well, I don't know about that..." – complained the tiger named Burns, scratching the back of his head. – "What's our rule, Ursus? How'd it go? _We start no friendships_ , right?"

-"Well, it's not like you're forbidden to do that..." – the bear said, smiling in a very strange way – "... but it's better not to. I mean, to get too attatched to the others. For your own good, clawsnfangs."

-" _For our own good_?" – Mufasa sounded confused. – "How is not helping each other supposed to do good to any of us?"

-"Trust me, it does..." – sighed the tiger.

-"Oh, just tell them, already!" – the lioness Jo rebuked them. – "Can't you see they don't understand anything?"

-"Oh, very well..." – Ursus said reluctantly. – "Zidi, do you remember how many animals have come to these cells since the day you arrived, that are now gone?"

The old lioness didn't even lift her head from the hay.

-"No idea. Countless."

-"And how about since the beggining of this year's games just a week ago?"

-"Well, let me see... There were three lions, two leopards, that she-bear... Am I missing anyone?"

-"The tiger that was here before Burns" – Jo reminded her.

-"Oh yeah, him! But he didn't hang around for long. He went the first day."

-"Yup. Not too impressive" – agreed her daughter.

All of this was a bit disturbing for Scar, and he noticed that his and his brother's eyes met. Both of them were expressing a sort of uneasy suspition.

-"Where... did they all... go?" – he asked slowly, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

An awkward chuckle filled the walls of the cell.

-"I hope you were a good team of hunters back home in Africa, clawsnfangs" – Ursus addressed them – "Cause here in Carthage, your skills will be put to the test. The humans will make sure of that..."

-"Wait a minute!" – Mufasa raised his voice, losing his patience. – "What exactly is this cursed place? And why are you referring to us as 'claws and fangs'"?

Before he even finished speaking, a loud metallic sound came from the end of the tunnel the two lions came from.

-"Uh-oh" – said the bear. – "I think more merchandise is about to be delivered..."

Surely enough, as the two brothers gazed through the bars of the grating, the light that came from the other side revealed to them a group of humans trying to push a very vicious male lion down the stairs. But he was fighting far more fiercely that Scar and Mufasa had.

-"Don't struggle... it's not worth it" – Ursus said to him, but without much conviction.

The animals could now observe that the new arrival, continuing his attempts to flee his captors, had forced them to take out their spears and actually push him down the tunnel. As the furious growls of the lion and the violent screaming of men became louder and louder, they were moving closer and closer toward the cell.

Suddenly, the grating that lead to the corridor from the side of the prison opened, too. Pardus and Burns started growling from inside their cells.

-"Stand away from there, if you value your lives!" – the bear warned everyone.

Seeing that his brother hesitated, probably thinking if he should try to help the other lion in an attempt to escape, Scar pulled Mufasa back by grabbing the hair of his mane.

-"Get over here, you idiot!" – he scolded him.

Mufasa didn't respond to that as the new arrival was almost inside the cell. Everyone could now clearly see that the humans had already bloodied him severely because of his fierceness.

-"Stop fighting! You'll only make it worse for yourself!" – the bear kept advising him.

But the lion didn't listen. He was visibly a strong, proud male, probably a former leader in his old territory. Letting himself be locked up in an underground prison cell was the last thing in the world he wanted.

Scar gazed with disgust as the humans kept stabbing him time and time again with the sharp tips of their weapons to make him move back, what only made the lion more angry. He was now completely blinded by fury. Not paying attention to the spears that punctured his skin, he rushed forward and grabbed one of the humans with his paws. The soldier tripped and collapsed to the ground, screaming, while the animal managed to bite him in the ankle. Blood sprayed all over the floor and the cacophony that filled the cell became vicious.

A hailstorm of blows fell on the lion's back, but still he didn't let go. The humans started panicking, trying to free their fellow man from the beast's grasp. Abandoning the spears, they unsheathed their swords, but even though they basically massacred the animal by slashing it with them, still they weren't able to kill it and make it stop.

One of the men started yelling something from the top of his voice toward the prison cell. A door opened somewhere, and a few more humans entered from the other side, standing in the passage in between the bear and the lions' pen. Scar noticed that they were carrying bundles of short sharp sticks with them, and also some strange devices.

-"Stand aside! Get out of their way!" – Ursus ordered.

Completely stunned, Scar moved back to the corner of the cell, next to Zidi and Jo. Just in time, because the archers were already pulling the strings of their bows. Before he was able to notice what was happening, the fierce lion became a porcupine with half a dozen shafts sticking out of his back. With a desperate howl, he finally let go of his would-be prey.

The two lionesses both let out a mournful gasp.

The soldiers first pulled the groaning man, who was now missing a foot, out of the tunnel. Then, using sharp grapnels, they also dragged the carcass of the lion away. After a minute, all that was left was a big pool of blood. The gate was closed again and a heavy silence filled the cell.

 _We who are about to die, salute you_ – Scar mumbled to himself.

* * *

 **AN: So Scar and Mufasa are slowly beginning to understand what kind of a place they ended up in...**

 **Will their fellow animal slaves help them to survive in the amphitheater, in spite of their** _ **no friend**_ **policy? That we shall see.**

 **Good job for guessing that Ursus was a bear! He's definitely going to be an important character from now on, along with the lionesses Zidi and Jo, Burns the Tiger and Pardus the mysterious Black Panther.**


	9. Ira Regis Leonum

**AN:** _ **(forces hand to type)**_ **Must… finish… fanfic…!**

 **GoshDANG, it's hard! Okay, I am reeeally sorry this is taking so long** _ **(sigh)**_ **.**

 **Oh, the Lion King franchise. I won't say it's dead. It's not dead. It's just… going through some hard times right now. Frankly, I thought the 'Lion Guard' show would be better, and that watching it would inspire me to write more Lion King fanfiction. But what it actually did was… disenchant me completely, and so I lost any inspiration to continue this fic. Instead, I wrote a couple Zootopia stories… and then a few Sonic the Hedgehog ones…**

 **But it's you, the readers, who finally convinced me to return to writing FtSotA. I want to especially thank users Emerald dreamer96, Arsacid, G28, matthorserider40, and others. You seem to see this story as a continuation of 'From behind Bars' (which has become one of the most faved Lion King fics on this website! Thanks so much guys!), and therefore value it significantly. Therefore, I feel compelled not to disappoint you. For all the support you've given me, you all deserve this.**

 **The hiatus has lasted for way over a year, and I'm sorry. In the meantime, I've permanently relocated to the United States, and my present occupation does not permit me to write as much as I used to. But, gosh- the teaser for the 2019 Lion King remake just came out, and I've been thrown on the hype train as well, I guess. I** _ **really**_ **want this to be good, even though I have serious doubts if the remake will be able to grasp the magic of the original… But it made me think of the franchise again. I watched some old Lion King videos and re-read my past stories to rekindle my inspiration. After all, I still love these characters, and I think all of us do and will continue to even if that dang Disney reboot proves… ekhm…** _ **(in an Immortan Joe voice)**_ **MEDIOCRE.**

 **And you all know that the fates of the poor captives Mufasa and Scar depend on how the remake is gonna be like ;) They've been sitting in the dungeons under the Carthage amphitheater for a very long time now, and I'm just as curious as you to see if they will ever be able to return to the Pridelands.**

 **So I bring to you 'From the Sands of the Arena', chapter 9! Again, this is for my devoted readers. Thank you for inspiring me to continue. Happy New Year, everyone! ;)**

* * *

 **CAPUT IX – IRA REGIS LEONUM** (The Wrath of the Lion King)

 _(Scar)_

After the humans killed the lion, Scar felt a newfound form of concern in his heart. Until now, he considered that if their captors wanted them dead, they would have already slain them instead of feeding them and keeping them in cages. But now, he was not sure of his safety anymore. He might have lost his opportunity to become king, but he knew one thing- he did not want to die. And definitely not like that strange lion had.

When he looked toward his brother, he noticed that even he, even the great and mighty Mufasa, was now visibly frightened. And then his own anxiety was replaced with anger.

 _These may be the last days of my life, and still I am forced to constantly bear with his presence!_ – he cursed his fate internally.

Then he noticed that, actually, the two of them were the only ones who seemed at all affected with what had just happened. This was extremely odd. The lionesses looked like they were about to fall asleep, Pardus was cleaning his black fur, Burns kept walking in circles around his cell, and Ursus just stood there, looking at them passively.

Finally, Mufasa had enough of it all.

-"I can't believe they just killed him!" – the shocked lion gasped, turning his head to find at least some compassion in the other animals' expressions. – "Doesn't that disturb any of you at all? Have you no heart?!"

Zidi and Jo sent him a gaze of disdain. To Scar it seemed as if they had no regard for weakness.

 _Truly, they start no friendships here. A least not with whelps._

Again, the one who delivered the explanation was Ursus.

-"I told him- he shouldn't have struggled. That's always a bad idea, at least in this place. He attacked one of the humans. The other men were trying to save him. How's that strange, clawsnfangs?"

-"Yeah" – confirmed the tiger. – "There's a right time for everything, and the time to kill humans will come for you yet. Don't try to rush it."

This was very interesting, Scar thought.

-" _A time to kill humans?_ " – he inquired. – "What do you have in mind?"

Ursus smiled as if he was being asked a silly question by some cub that didn't know anything about anything.

-"Dear clawsnfangs, I'm sorry. In the midst of all this mess, I still haven't had the chance to tell you why you've been brought here!"

Mufasa looked at him with anger, approaching the bars of their cage.

-"The other animals that were here. Where are they?" – he inqired sternly.

That was actually something Scar himself had been thinking about, but dared not ask. The one to answer the question, however, was not Ursus this time.

-"They're dead!" – Jo said suddenly, making them turn their heads around. A nasty smile appeared on her face. – "Don't you get it? The humans bring animals here to fight and kill each other. Above our heads there's a big sandy field, surrounded by seats for spectators, where the fights take place. Soon, maybe even today, you're gonna be taken there to fight to the death. That's why the other animals aren't here anymore. They lost! We're still here only because we were better, and cause we killed those whom the humans put before us!"

It took Scar some time to digest what the young lioness had said. When she and her mother saw him standing there with his mouth agape, they sneered. That made the black-maned lion clench his fangs in anger.

He then heard his brother speak. Mufasa's voice was kind of shaky, not so much that of a proud ruler, his brother assessed.

-" _W-what_ …?" the older lion stammered, his eyes wide with shock.

-"You heard what she said," Jo's mother responded with a disturbing, almost delighted smirk.

Forcing himself not to lose his composure, Scar curiously inquired:

-"Tell us more about this… ordeal which the humans are conducting here."

The first one to respond to that was Burns.

-"They call it _the Games_ ", the tiger said passively, licking a big old bone he was now holding in between his paws.

-"You might think that this is a stupid name," Ursus continued, supporting his head with his chubby paw. "And it is, but only from our perspective. For us, who fight and die in the arena, this is as serious as serious can get. For the humans, however, all of this is mere entertainment."

-"You mean to tell us that those pitiful primates capture other animals and watch them slaughter one another… _for fun_?" Scar raised a brow.

-"Yeah," the bear nodded. "Pretty much. That's all you are for them- claws and fangs. Killing machines. Why do you think they only capture the strongest? Nobody would care to look at a fight between two dogs. That the humans can watch in the streets of their cities. But a battle between a bear and a lion… now _that's_ something else!"

The way Ursus spoke about fighting other animals to the death, as if he was just as accustomed to it as he was to eating and breathing, made Scar's guts churn. Feeling his paws shake and his blood pressure rise, he took another look around. He now noticed the signs of multiple old injuries under Ursus' thick fur. Gazing at his other cellmates in search of any sort of solace, he noticed how muscular Burns' body was… Both Zidi and Jo also looked much more fit than any of the lionesses from Mufasa's old pride. He briefly imagined himself having to face these animals in direct combat. True, he could take on a bunch of hyenas back in the Pridelands… perhaps two or three on a good day… But _them_?

When Scar directed his sight at Pardus, the eerie spark of the panther's green irises made him quickly break eye contact. Blocking a yelp that formed in his throat, he hung his head, gazing at the floor. But when he once again noticed the pool of lion blood which stained it, he lifted his paw with disgust, winced, and decided to hold his tongue. His heart pounded within his chest, and he felt greatly confused. Something he had not experienced since… Well, since the day he had lost the Roar.

He, the great Scar, was surprised by how terrified he was. But even now, he knew that he couldn't allow his mind to become clouded with despair. He needed to find some way to survive this game of death which the humans would soon force him to play… and he needed to find it _fast_.

As the younger of the two brothers sat in silence, petrified by the news delivered to them by their fellow prisoners, the older one seemed to have had a different reaction to the gruesome revelation. At first, Mufasa kept his head low, the long hair of his mane obscuring his expression. But when he raised it, in the corner of his eye, Scar could see him boiling over with a wrath he had not seen in his older sibling since the day of Simba's presentation.

All of the animals within the pens under the Carthage amphitheater were suddenly startled by a booming, mighty lion roar. Mufasa, as powerful as he was, expressed him wrath in a way which attracted the attention of even those accustomed to unlimited violence.

-"What the hell is wrong with him?" asked the young Jo, a smile no longer present on her face.

The furious lion stood in the midst of the cell, scraping the stone floor under his paws with his long claws. He then uttered something that was a pledge both to himself, and to those who listened, including the Great Kings of old.

-"I am a king… And I _will_ escape from this damned prison, no matter who, or what, I will have to kill in the process!"

 _There he goes_ \- thought Scar as he rolled his eyes. _That perpetual show-off…_

Such an unusual utterance made Burns leave his bone behind and approach the bars of his cage in amusement.

-"Ha! _A king_?" - the tiger asked curiously. "Care to… elaborate on that a little bit?"

-"I am the ruler of the Pridelands, a kingdom south of the Kilimanjaro," Mufasa turned to face him, revealing his true identity. "I do not belong in a _cage_. I must return to my land, and my family… even if I will have to cut a bloody path through the streets of this human hive!"

-"Whoah, okay. Hold on there, your majesty…" Burns chuckled, taking a step back as Mufasa stuck his muzzle through the bars.

It was evident that the other animals had a hard time believing Mufasa's story. Ursus and Pardus remained mostly passive, Zidi and Jo however were quite vocal in expressing their disbelief.

-" _Hahaha!_ " - laughed the older lioness. "I've seen a lot of lunatics during my time… but never someone claiming to be a _king!_ "

-"Did your friend get hit on the head one too many times on the way here?" her daughter followed on with the jeering, addressing Scar.

The dark Pridelander thought for a while. Then he spoke to his brother:

-"Give it all a break, Muffy. I've told you many times- you're no king…"

Immediately, Mufasa redirected his eyes at Scar, death written all over his face. It looked like it did not take long for him to shake his initial insecurity.

His brother quickly bit his tongue. The lionesses, however, were not so easily impressed.

-"Do you think anyone will give you better treatment if you shove a story about being king of some African shithole down their throats?" Zidi went on with her mockery.

-"That's the stupidest way to protect one's sorry ass I've ever seen!" Jo added her two cents. "Down here, there are no kings! Only that damn human emperor, way over in Rome! And to him, all of us are just hunks of flesh. As you will soon be, ya looney…"

The young female's discourse was cut short, however. The already infuriated Mufasa had enough of her nonsense. Without warning, he charged at the two lionesses, forcing them to bolt out of their corner.

-"What the…? Have you lost your _mind_?!" yelled Zidi, kicking up a cloud of dust and straw as she narrowly avoided the huge male lion's claws.

-"I am not _lying!_ " he roared.

-"Hey! No fighting in the cells! Leave that for the arena!" Ursus admonished them, standing on his hind legs as a sign of warning.

But Mufasa gave him no heed. Step by step, he continued to approach the cornered lionesses with fire in his eyes. The females both bared their fangs, standing side by side, getting ready for battle.

-"Why not?" asked the infuriated monarch. "Why would where we slaughter one another make a difference, anyway? The way I see it, all that matters is who wins! And I promise you- back in my kingdom, there was no one equal to me!"

Watching all of this from afar, Scar considered the situation to be _very_ interesting. His brother was showing a side of his character even he had not known. Then again, they'd never been in a situation quite like this… But when he gave it some thought, the shrewd younger lion estimated that his brother's behavior was not working to his benefit. The plan Scar had drawn up in order to survive was a bit different, especially with regard to the lionesses. And thus, he decided to interfere.

When the females and Mufasa were almost about to pounce at one another, Scar stood in their midst, facing his brother.

-"Alright, that's enough," he forced himself to stay calm at least on the outside. "Step down, Muffy. The bear is right."

It seemed that the older lion was almost about to hit him in the face for that… But ultimately, he relented.

-"How _dare you_ contradict me?" Mufasa spat at him instead, his expression twisted with fury.

This was not the first time that Scar saw his brother angry, however.

-"Why Muffy, I am greatly shocked with your behavior!" he uttered with false outrage. "I always considered you to be a civil and reasonable lion!"

That, of course, was a lie. Still, Mufasa had enough reason in him to know that he didn't want to start a fight with his own brother, especially in these circumstances. Or at least not until that proved absolutely necessary…

The king did not attack, instead continuing to share a stare of death with the lionesses. Noticing that their faces were not too happy either, Scar turned to Zidi and Jo.

-"Ladies," he uttered sweetly, faking a faint smile.

For a moment, the females gazed at him, unsure of what his intentions were. But eventually, they did hide their fangs.

-"I understand that there is little chance for us to become best chaps," Scar continued in his silky tone, "but I don't suppose we should be enemies, either. Wouldn't you agree?"

He made sure to look both lionesses straight in the eyes when he said that. The females seemed rather confused… and that was exactly the effect the lion wished to achieve.

-"I think we started off on a wrong note," he continued, walking before the females' faces, making sure to touch their fur with the tip of his tail. Seemingly _by accident_.

-"I understand that even if my _friend_ had indeed been a king, you wouldn't have believed him," Scar emphasized this point in order to also make Mufasa understand it. "You are not ignorant, are you? We males sometimes greatly underestimate you, I admit. Muffy made a mistake. Please, forgive him. I, on the other hand, have always preferred the company of females, and I think that you…"

Scar didn't finish his sentence, however. Though the lionesses seemed to be listening to what he had to say, the expression on Mufasa's face proved to him that his brother was not too impressed by his conniving smooth-talk.

-"What the _hell_ are you talking about, brother?" he snapped, making Scar's ears droop.

But before the dark lion was able to respond, Ursus laughed so hard that it made his huge gut shake.

-" _Ha!_ You guys are brothers?!" the bear chuckled. "Well, that explains a lot! No one fights as much as family members. Huh, I think having you two around is gonna be lots of fun. As long as you don't die, that is. Just please, don't kill one another…"

Mufasa paid him no attention, however, and still looked like he wanted to bite Scar's head off. The younger sibling didn't like that one bit. Looking at him with disdain, he growled:

-"Let it go, you fool…"

Mufasa narrowed his eyes, his expression indicating to Scar that he didn't even deem him worthy to fight him. Surprisingly though, the lionesses decided to take the younger sibling's side.

-"Listen here, _your majesty_ ," Zidi uttered with a venomous smirk. "Let's postpone this argument until we face each other in the arena. How's that sound?"

-"You probably won't have to wait too long for that," her daughter assured him.

Feeling more comfortable with both of the females' support, Scar also expressed satisfaction. Of course, Mufasa didn't like that at all.

-"Three against one, is it?" he snorted in disregard. "Whatever. I can still take you down anytime!"

He then turned his back on Scar, Zidi and Jo, and went over to the only corner that still had hay in it, which was formerly occupied by the lionesses. He then sat there triumphantly, pricking up his nose, indicating that he now declared himself the king of the lion pen.

His brother, however, considered this his first victory.

 _Your hubris will be the end of you, Mufasa,_ he thought to himself.

He then wanted to get to know his two female allies a little better. But before he said a single silky word to Zidi and Jo, he heard his brother's voice yet again. Which made him groan in annoyance.

-"Hey Scar!" Mufasa spoke maliciously.

-" _What?!_ " the dark lion responded, clenching his fangs.

-"Oh nothing," his brother stretched himself out on the soft hay. "I just find it funny how you now present yourself as a ladies' man. To be honest, I didn't have the same impression back home…"

Scar noticed that Zidi and Jo were both raising their brows, listening to Mufasa's revelations curiously.

-"What are you implying?!" he growled in anger.

-"I'm just stating the truth. I mean, most of the lionesses never liked you all that much, you gotta admit. If it were otherwise, why would Sarafina choose Siri over you? You spent most of your life in the den of the Lion Guard. Even at your present age, you've never had a mate. You probably didn't know, but frankly, some of the lionesses in the Pridelands had begun to speculate that you weren't into females at all…"

Truth be told, Scar was caught quite off guard. Not that any of these accusations were true, of course. He was just surprised by the mean attitude his brother suddenly started to exhibit. It was just as if they were cubs again…

Scar knew that this was done in order to make him look bad in Zidi and Jo's eyes. He was barely able to keep calm, but when he did overcome his initial rage, he smiled.

-"My dear, dear Muffy, how careless of you. I admit, I stayed away from the pride for a long time. But do you really mean to tell me that the fact that I indeed had a mate had completely slipped your attention?"

Scar was delighted to see the shock on his brother's face.

-"Huh?" Mufasa gasped. "You're lying…"

-"I wouldn't lie to my own brother!"

-"Well, who was it then? I'm _dying_ to know!"

The time had come to deliver a killing blow. Standing face to face with his brother, towering over him and puffing up his chest proudly, Scar announced:

-"Why, of course. It was Zira!"

-"Z-Zira?!" his brother repeated the name, startled. "You mean… that low-born lioness from outside of our pride?!"

Scar nodded, arching his mouth in a faint smirk.

-"Low-born, high-born… What's the difference?"

-"I'd thought that she stuck to you like a bur after you rescued her all those years ago… but… for goodness' sake, Scar, she was half your age!"

-" _So?_ " the younger brother continued to laugh at Mufasa maliciously. But only until he turned toward Zidi and Jo. Then, he assumed a look of sorrow and longing. "All that mattered to us was our love. Alas, it's no use now! Both you and I have been snatched away from our mates, brother. Now, we have to face our trials alone."

Walking away melodramatically, ending the fiery conversation, he positioned himself in the corner of the cage opposite to Mufasa's, and pretended to go to sleep. Everyone else did pretty much the same. But as the other animals were retiring for the night, Scar kept one eye open, observing their reaction to what he had said. His brother snorted as he placed his head down on the hay, defeated. That was a delightful sight to the dark lion. But the way the females acted, was even better. Though they didn't say a thing, the two lionesses had their eyes fixed at him for some time before they too dozed off. Scar had a very strong hunch that his story had enkindled within them an particular interest in his person.

 _Perfect_ , he thought.

* * *

 _(Mufasa)_

The king of the Pridelands (a title which he himself still considered very much valid) was experiencing such an internal mix of anger, sadness and confusion that he kept rolling over on his pile of hay for a long time before being able to actually fall asleep. But in the end, his tiredness got the best of him.

He slept deeply and without dreams, as he usually did when he was completely spent. At least for some time. But then, to his shock, he felt someone's paw on his throat.

Opening his eyes, all he initially saw was some black blob, and an eerie green glow right in front of his face.

-"What…?" he wanted to say, but then he felt the nocturnal guest choking him.

He recognized the scent.

It was Scar.

-" _Nyamaza!_ " the dark lion whispered in his ear, his voice full of venom. He was speaking Swahili, making sure that the other animals would not understand him.

-„Kama wewe kunitukana mimi tena mbele ya Zidi na Jo, nitakuja kwenu usiku, wakati kulala, na mimi _kukuumiza_. Kiasi kwamba binadamu kumaliza kazi!"

Mufasa meditated upon Scar's threat in silence for a while. And then, without warning, he pounced at his brother, overpowering him with ease. After a short scuffle, which woke everyone else up, he managed to pin Scar to the ground.

Then, gazing straight into his sibling's vicious, green eyes, he growled:

-"Kama wewe kutishia mimi tena mbele ya yeyote, nami nitawaua ninyi mimi mwenyewe... mbele ya kila mtu."

He then let go of him and, leaving Scar lying in the dirt, went back to his corner, accompanied by Ursus' drowsy curses:

-"Keep it down, you African airheads! All of us need our precious rest! Soon you'll find out _why_ , you can be sure of that!"

* * *

 **AN: The dialogue between Mufasa and Scar is translated thus:**

 **Scar- Shut up! If you insult me again in front of Zidi and Jo, I will come to you at night, when you are asleep, and I will** _ **hurt you**_ **. So much so that the humans will finish the job!**

 **Mufasa- if you threaten me again in front of anyone, I will kill you myself... in front of everyone.**

 **In case you're wondering, some things from Scar and Mufasa's past mentioned in this story, like Scar's relationship with Zira (or why the heck do the brothers speak Swahili) are refferences to my previous TLK fic- "Taka's Guard". If you're curious, you can go ahead and read that for a full backstory.**


	10. Salvos Aptissimum

**AN: Guess what! I managed to birth another one! Two weeks is much better than fourteen months, isn't it?**

* * *

 **CAPUT X – SALVOS APTISSIMUM** (Survival of the Fittest)

 _(Mufasa)_

Sitting upon his throne of rotten hay in the most comfortable corner of the cage, Mufasa could not even bring himself to look at his brother.

They have always been enemies, at least as long as he could remember. But this… This was too much, even for him.

Twice he had thought of exiling Scar from the Pridelands- once after their father left the kingdom, and then again, after the terrible tragedy which resolved in the death of the members of his brother's Lion Guard. Both of these events could only be regarded as catastrophic. And for both of them, somewhere in the depths of his subconsciousness, Mufasa continued to blame Scar. Still, considering his prejudice may be irrational due to a lack of solid evidence, he permitted his fallen sibling to remain in their kingdom, and cling to what was left of his shattered dignity.

When he first felt his scent in the human wagon they were both incarcerated in, Mufasa thought he was dreaming. And after he opened his eyes and saw his brother's face again, happy to see Scar for the first time in years, he thanked the Old Kings that he had refrained from removing him permanently from his life. Mufasa was no fool- he knew perfectly of his brother's apt mind and other skills which, combined with his own, could make of them an excellent team. Just like all those ages ago, when they still hunted together in the savanna… With his brother, escape would have been so much easier.

The only problem was that Scar, even in these almost desperate circumstances, seemed to be only interested in one thing- adding more weight to his already unsurmountable load of hardships.

It wasn't just that Mufasa felt annoyed. It wasn't because he felt his royal dignity injured in the presence of other animals. _No._ This was about something more than just feelings. By refusing to aid him in returning to the Pridelands, Scar was committing a tremendous crime against the wellbeing of the kingdom. It was as if he no longer cared. He'd always been cynical and ambivalent, but the weeks of captivity had apparently turned him into a complete nihilist.

But that was not all. Deep in his lawful heart of a monarch, Mufasa also felt a prick of shock when he heard his brother bragging about his affair with the young Zira. Not only did this wicked relationship happen behind the king's back. Zira was also already the mate of the leader of a pride from the Marshlands- the Pridelanders' close and valued allies…

And there Scar was now. Snatched away from his illegitimate mate, probably for the sake of experiencing at least a bit of shallow fun before their upcoming demise, his brother shamelessly lay side by side with the two Persian lionesses. The trio groomed one another's fur in the manner of a miniature pride, emitting sounds of enjoyment which sounded so grotesque within these prison walls. The scene, completely ignored by the others, made Mufasa's guts churn…

 _The knave. The traitor_ \- thought the older lion. _Bewitching two low-born females into allying with him in order to stand a better chance on the arena with his unimpressive physique and his poor fighting capabilities…_ Mufasa considered this as Scar's ultimate downfall.

He wasn't jealous. After all, he had his own mate, Sarabi, waiting for him way over in the Pridelands… But he could also hardly imagine what Zidi and Jo saw in his brother. After the two lionesses' declaration that they would start no friendships in the cages, he was almost sure that they had some personal interest in this arrangement. Perhaps they thought that, if they would become pregnant, the humans would spare them for a longer amount of time…?

Twitching with disgust, Mufasa turned his eyes away from his loathsome brother and the two new turtle-doves at his side. He had to focus. He may have been left alone, but if he was still to survive, he needed to use his own potential to the fullest.

He _was_ king. He needed to fight. And, in order to win, he also needed to know what he was heading toward. Like a hunter surveying the savanna before the bloodshed begins.

He focused his attention on the bear in the adjacent cell. Ursus proved to him to be the most helpful of the pack of fellow jailmates, the years he spent in the amphitheater having given the hairy beast a fair amount of experience in this world which the new arrivals from southern Africa found alien and hostile.

Maintaining his serious composure and sharp look, ignoring the anger which the threats that Scar had issued the past night had awaken in him, the king of the Pridelands cleared his throat.

-"Tell me more about these _Games_ ," Mufasa demanded.

The huge hunk of meat and blubber, having just finished washing his breakfast down with a drink from the bowl in his cage, wiped the water dripping from his muzzle with his trunk-like arm, and arched his lips in an acrid smile.

-"You want stories, clawsnfangs? Oh, I got stories for ya. But are you sure you really wanna hear these stories?"

The sarcastic bear's mirth irritated Mufasa even more.

-"Yes, I do!" he raised his voice somewhat. - "You've been out there many times. I haven't. Tell me what I should be getting ready for!"

Saying that, the lion pointed his head at the barred gap under the ceiling of one of the walls of his own enclosure, which was a window with a view on the arena outside. In response to that, Ursus shrugged, and was about to say something when he was interrupted by Burns. The tiger, who lay resting his head on his paws, said to him:

-"Ah, c'mon. I don't suppose we can scare _this guy_ with anything we say. I mean, look at him! He's huge, his muscles look so shredded that it seems like they're about to rip through his skin! I bet my stripes he's a killer. Or at least he used to be, back at home."

-"Well, I'm not so sure," responded the bear. - "I heard that in lion prides, it's the females who do most of the hunting. They're not lone wolves, like you, me, or Pardus over there. They're mostly only useful in the mating season…"

Scar, lounging by the wall in the embrace of his two companions, let out a muted chuckle, which the lionesses also picked up.

His brother, however, who was unused to being referred to in the third person, dug his claws deeper into the dirt, stopping a curse. Blowing steam from his nostrils, he said to Burns and Ursus:

-"I _was_ a hunter. And I _am_ a fighter. If you doubt it… I will prove it to you as soon as I'm out of this cage."

There was something in the tone of his voice, some odd regality, which made the two animals lose their merriment. Seeing the spark in Mufasa's eyes caused even the mysterious black panther Pardus to prick up his ears as he sat in the middle of his own cell, ever silent.

The bear and the tiger shared a confused glare.

-"Awright, if you say so…" mumbled Ursus.

-"I'm looking forward to seeing you in action, Muffy!" Burns announced with excitement.

Locking his sight on the first one of them, Mufasa huffed:

-"Information. I need _information._ "

-"Fine, fine!" the bear finally complied. Then, sitting on his butt and stretching out his fat legs, he continued. - "The Games. What can I say about them… Well, the humans organize them at least once a month. Sometimes more frequently than that. Usually around some big feast of theirs, but if the common people demand it, the proconsul might honor their request and have Games any time. Those guys are _always_ hungry for blood, let me tell you that…"

-"Wait a minute. _Proconsul?_ " Mufasa's brow wrinkled as he heard a term unfamiliar to him.

-"Yeah, the governor," Burns explained, rolling over to his side sluggishly. - "The boss of all of Carthage. The emperor's chief crony in these parts."

-"Galerius Maximus _,_ " Ursus pronounced the human's name with a staged sublimity. "You'll meet him, eventually."

The lion then wondered aloud.

-"What kind of a name is _Galerius Maximus_?"

-"Well, we usually just call him Galerius for short," the bear elaborated.

-"Or _that prick_ , which in his case, is even shorter…" sneered Burns. "You'll see him soon enough."

Ursus then went on, saying:

-"The humans love long names almost as much as they love blood. The emperor's name, for example, is Caesar Publius Licinus Valerianus. Or, to state his full title- _Emperor Caesar Publius Licinus Valerianus, Patriotic, Favored, Unconquered Augustus, Conqueror of the Germans, High Priest, seven times Tribune, once Emperor, four times Consul, Father of the Fatherland_."

-"The king of an empire built on war and conquest…" Mufasa spat with disgust, as the thought was repulsive to him, a king himself. - "And he dares to call himself their _Father_!"

-"Ah, you don't know half of it!" Ursus declared. Then, he suddenly arose, and assuming a more serious tone, said:

-" _To plunder, butcher, steal- these things they misname empire. They make a desolation, and they call it peace._ "

That statement seemed especially peculiar to Mufasa. For some reason, he had a feeling that Ursus did not just make it up.

-"Whose words are those?" the lion arched a brow.

Ursus smiled.

-"Tacitus. A human scholar, one of the cleverer ones," he waved his paw dismissively. - "Nevermind."

That was really interesting, Mufasa thought. How would the bear, who had been locked in a cage for years, know all these things about the dreadful Roman Empire? The mystery intrigued him, though unfortunately he couldn't waste time by asking about that right now. Instead, he got back on track.

-"So the humans aren't satisfied with the violence of their wars, and this is why they also like to watch others fight in the arenas?"

-"Right," Ursus responded, hanging his paws over the bars of his cage. - " _Once killing starts, it is difficult to draw the line_. That's also Tacitus."

-"Showoff…" Burns mocked him.

-"Hey, it's true, and you know it!" the bear retorted, grinning.

-"Enough!" the exasperated Mufasa called for their attention again. - "You said we're in the middle of the Games. But why were these organized? Is it some big festival for the humans? So big that they had to ship victims for their arena all the way from the foot of Kilimanjaro?"

This time, his cellmates did not have a ready answer. Both the tiger and the bear shrugged, after which Ursus said:

-"Good question, clawsnfangs."

-"Usually, it's not hard to predict when the next Games will happen," Burns continued. - "The emperor's birthday in October, the Saturnalia in December…"

-"Only that now, it's kind of random. Which means that the reason must have been either popular demand, or the proconsul's own initiative," continued the bear. - "The immovable feasts have a set schedule. The impromptu games- not always. Usually, they start off with the executions of criminals to stir things up, which is when we first get to enter the arena. As the _executioners_ , of course. Then, the horse racing, which gives us a moment of rest. But when the beast fights begin, that's when the real excitement comes into play! And danger, too. If you live through that, your next challenge will be the gladiators. By gladiators, I mean armed humans. _Thraex, murmillo, hoplomachus_ … You'll get to meet all of them. If you survive, that is. And if you manage to survive the beast hunts… then you'll be free to retire, and observe as the humans face one another in duels, or sometimes in real, big battles which take place on the arena. I tell you, there's nothing better than to watch those iron-clad idiots slaughter one another… But you'll first have to do your own work in spilling blood, _heh-heh…_ "

Listening to Ursus' descriptions, Mufasa envisioned all of these things in his mind. He knew that, eventually, he would have to fight. But the fact that he did not know _whom_ he would face, was greatly unsettling… Killing for sport was always prohibited in the Pridelands. He did not want to do it… but he knew he had to. Closing his eyes, he sighed, thinking of his distant kingdom- his queen and his son.

 _For them. I will fight. And I will win!_

Noticing his silence, Burns rolled over on the grimy floor again, and chuckled.

-"Hey, no sweat, Muffy! Don't worry! I'm sure you can bite off a few heads with that huge mouth of yours. You're an impressive specimen, gotta hand you that. The humans will have a ride watching you fight. I doubt they'll let you get killed off that soon."

-" _The gods are on the side of the stronger!_ " Ursus affirmed.

-"That's also that Tacitus guy, isn't it?" the tiger jeered at him. - "There's no way you'd have made something this smart up yourself."

Ignoring his two most loquacious jailfellows, Mufasa remained steeped in his meditations. Then, in the corner of his eye, he noticed that Pardus was gazing straight at him. Lifting up his head, he wished to tell the irritating, mysterious panther to look away.

But then he noticed something else. The two lionesses, who were flanking his brother as if he was the alpha male in their cage, were also curiously glaring in his direction. Perhaps they were once again assessing his chances of survival based on his externals?

But why did their eyes seemed so… interested? Excited, even? The mere thought making him cringe, Mufasa turned his head.

In spite of that, however, one of the females did not seem deterred. Zidi, the mother of Jo and the more experienced of the two, stood up from the floor and stretched, abandoning the drowsy Scar as he rested his handsome black head against her daughter's ribcage.

Zidi had just finished cleaning herself after her morning meal. And now, it seemed, she was hungry for another juicy piece of meat.

Spreading her feline pheromones all around, the lioness slithered step by step to the other side of the cage, to the comfortable residence of Scar's older brother.

Mufasa paid her no heed, remaining stiff as a plank, his face turned toward the wall as a sign of disregard.

Zidi encircled him, placing her strong paws on the ground slowly. He wished she'd understand that he didn't enjoy her company, and just go away. But she didn't.

Finally, the stubborn lioness sat right in front of him, flailing the tip of her tail around. Willingly or not, Mufasa now saw her in better light than before. Zidi was slightly older than him. A collection of scars adorned her dark-golden coat like a suit of armor. She looked like she could eat Sarabi whole, and Sarabi was the strongest female in the Pridelands.

Mufasa lifted his eyes at her reluctantly, indicating his feelings with a frown. Zidi, however, only narrowed her acute stare. Finally, with a cautious yet curious voice, she asked:

-"Are you really a king?"

The lion deliberated whether or not he ought to answer for a moment. He finally decided to issue his response in the form of another question.

-"And what's it to you?"

Undeterred by his frigidity, Zidi smiled, as if the roughness of Mufasa's voice caused her pleasure.

-"I think you _look_ like a king," she purred.

After a few more seconds of silence, during which Mufasa remained unfazed by her seduction, the lioness attempted to sit even closer to him.

-"How about you let me get back to my old corner, and maybe then we can talk more about your past…"

What Zidi really wanted to do was to lie down by Mufasa's side. But the lion, who was still much larger than her, would have none of it.

-" _Stay away!_ " he growled, pretending to lunge at her before Zidi could touch him. The old lioness evaded his assault, laughing out loud, and halted in the middle of the cage.

-"Alright, alright! You don't like company. I get it!"

-"I don't like _your_ company, unlike my brother!" Mufasa said, his eyes already blood-shot. - "What do you want from me? To become the father of your cubs? For your information, I already have a family!"

After hearing those words, Zidi and Jo looked at one another, laughing. Then, the older one of them responded:

-"Too bad for you. When I got pregnant with my daughter, the humans left me alone for almost half a year. Very soon, you will appreciate how much precious time that is… But don't flatter yourself too much, Muffy. I wasn't thinking of that at all! I only asked a simple question!"

-"The answer is _yes_ , I _am_ a king!" Mufasa screamed at her, indignant. - "I already told you that!"

-"Well, you sure act like one…" - Zidi snorted, turning her back at him.

Scar watched their argument with surprising calmness. But once the offended female rejoined her daughter at his side, he sat up, fixing his green eyes at his brother. Mufasa did not fail to notice it.

-"Don't even say a thing!" he warned his younger sibling.

Looking surprised, Scar made a long face.

-"Say what?" he inquired. "That you're _not_ a king? Pardon me, I may have not expressed myself clearly enough the last time. What I really meant to say is that you're _no longer_ a king. You've got to face the facts, Mufasa- the Pridelands are pretty far away right now. And what is a king without a kingdom? Hardly a king at all, correct?"

His voice sounded innocent, but his brother knew he was only saying this to humiliate him and look better in the sight of the females. Sadly however, he didn't have a ready answer for that, and Scar continued talking.

-"In fact, if you'd done a better job patrolling the borders of our former kingdom, we may have still been there. _Then_ you would still be king. But since you've failed at your task, you're _not_. You've lost your title like a cub loses his spots."

His audacity was indescribable… but, unfortunately, there was some truth to that. If it were otherwise, Mufasa could tear his brother's throat out. But since Scar's words indeed made him feel a slight pinch of guilt in his heart, he tamed his anger, and instead looked for a more reasonable retort.

-"I am only one lion," he spoke through clenched teeth. - "Allow me to remind you that ensuring the safety of the Pridelands used to be the duty of the _Lion Guard_. The Lion Guard of which _you_ were once the leader. And whose members are all dead, because of _your_ negligence!"

As he spoke, Mufasa saw Scar slowly losing his vigor. Facing such an argument, his brother was forced to hold his tongue.

-"If the Lion Guard was still around, none of this would have happened!" the older lion once again yelled the biting accusation straight into his brother's face, reminding him of one of the most tragic events of their past- a terrible accident, which resulted in the death of four of the Pridelands' finest and most noble lions.

The incident was far in the past. The pain and antipathy remained.

And though this accident happened so long ago, Scar knew that he was the one responsible. He couldn't forget. And, perhaps, Mufasa's words now made him realize that also his own imprisonment was the result of that mistake which he had made all those years ago?

His brother enjoyed the look on Scar's face after he realized that. For once, he managed to shut him up- to cut short his haughty arrogance.

But then, Mufasa saw something which made that feeling of triumph turn bitter. Dumbstruck and crestfallen, Scar hung his head, his eyes showing signs of a deep sorrow which filled his heart upon reminiscing about the day he lost his companions, as well as the Roar of the Elders.

-"You…" breathing deeply, he mumbled in a broken voice, which was completely unlike him. - "You have no idea how much you've hurt me with those words…"

Unwilling to argue anymore, Scar simply slipped to the floor, rolling over to turn toward the wall. His two female minions, alarmed, swiftly flanked him, looking back at Mufasa with resentment.

The king, though he felt a sting somewhere deep inside, maintained a stone face.

Ursus and Burns looked at one another from between the bars of their cages and shrugged, unsure of what the two brothers were even talking about. Pardus purred silently and mysteriously.

There was nothing else left to say. The bear had told Mufasa that they needed to wait until the humans prepared the arena. Ignoring his brother, who brooded in the corner with the females, the lion decided to go to sleep.

He was awaken by Scar, who stood over him eerily. Flinching, Mufasa tried to move away, though his dark sibling did not take any action this time.

-"What do you want?" Mufasa snapped at him.

For a few more moments, his brother continued to fix his emerald eyes at him with a face that expressed absolutely nothing. Then, in a surprisingly passive tone, he said:

-"Your neck is bleeding."

Mufasa cocked his head. Scar was right. The leather collar which the humans had put on him had cut through the lion's skin due to his long days of struggle. Though the pain was irritating, he kept his mouth shut, as complaining about such petty things was unworthy of a king. Or at least that was what his father had taught him.

Then, Mufasa noticed something else.

-"Your collar has left a nasty sore as well," he said to Scar, whose jet-black mane was curled up with thin tangles of blood.

Instead of answering to that, his brother took a step closer, and said:

-"Hold still."

Noticing that Scar was bringing his muzzle suspiciously near his neck, Mufasa reacted with negation.

-"What are you doing?!" he asked, moving away.

-"How's it look like? I'm trying to help you!" Scar stated, insisting that the other lion allow himself to be touched.

Mufasa hesitated. Why, after all of this, would he trust his brother, after all? The expression on his face may have looked innocent, but the older brother knew that Scar could fake that easily.

-"Why?" he inquired, narrowing his eyes incredulously. - "Am I not an enemy to you?"

Scar frowned, waving his head in anger.

-"My _enemy_? Why would I make you one? Don't I have enough of them already? Don't we _both_ have enough foes? No, Mufasa. I am not trying to fight you. All I'm trying to do, is to _survive_. Let's put aside these childish quarrels, as we should have done a long time ago. No use blaming one another for who is responsible for putting us in this hole. We are brothers, sons of the same mother! _Sisi ni moja_ \- we are one! How about we try to get through this… together… for once. Two heads are better than one, and a pride of lions has a way higher chance of survival than a single rogue. You know this. In the distant future, once we get back home, _if_ we ever do, we can go on with our antagonisms as much as we want. But not now, brother… Not now."

That was a shocking proposition. _Scar_ was calling for a truce? A radical change of attitude, compared to what he expressed just the night before. It must have been a trick of some sort…

But then again, why would it be? Wasn't that the only rational thing to do? Perhaps it just took his brother some time to understand it...

Reluctant yet compliant, Mufasa nodded. And then he slowly lifted his head, exposing his neck.

When Scar opened his mouth, baring his sharp teeth, the older lion nearly flinched. He felt pain, but the pain was the result of his brother pulling at the collar as he attempted to chew through it.

It took him several minutes, during which he mouthed muffled curses… but finally, Mufasa felt the dreadful thick leather band loosen, and fall to the floor.

The relief he experienced as he stretched his aching neck, was indescribable. For the first time in weeks, he felt a little more free. And to think that he owed it all to Scar!

-"You… you did it!" Mufasa exclaimed with genuine gratitude. - "I can't believe it!"

Satisfied with his success, his brother exhibited a big grin.

-"Was there any doubt? But enough babble. Now you get rid of my collar, and we'll be even! Hurry. This damn itching is driving me insane."

-"My pleasure!"

Having regained full control of his neck, Mufasa got to work immediately. Chewing through the thick leather proved to be quite the chore. The tanned skin was way more sturdy than any raw meat the king had ever eaten, even that of an elephant. He also almost choked on Scar's long black mane, and the more he moved his head trying to get the hair out of his face, the more his sibling cursed, rebuking him to stop pulling and hurry up.

But ultimately, the leather band could stand no chance against the Lion King's sharp teeth. When the collar finally snapped, Scar moaned with relief.

-" _Free at last!_ "

Swatting the hated bond with a paw, he sent it flying through the air, stretching his aching cervical vertebrae with delight.

-"You're welcome…" Mufasa mumbled to him, indignant for not having received a proper thank-you.

Scar then looked at him, and a tiny smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. Amazingly enough, that may have actually been a sign of reconciliation... at least for the time being.

 _Thank the great Kings! This may still end well!_ \- Mufasa thought to himself, and smiled back. - _It appears that, for this to be possible, all we needed was a mutual enemy._

In the meantime, his brother walked over to his two female companions, proud as a peacock. The lionesses, however, did not seem all that impressed.

-"You know, Scar, the humans will not be too happy about this…" Zidi warned him.

The dark lion continued to grin.

-"Damn them all. I care not," he stated cockily. - "You're just jealous because my brother and I don't have collars on, and you and your daughter still do!"

-"Hmph," Zidi snorted. - "You get used to it…"

-"I can't even remember a time when I didn't wear a collar!" - added Jo.

Scar continued to gaze upon them in a patronizing way.

-"And that is precisely what differentiates _you_ from _us_ , my dears."

After that, Mufasa rested a bit more securely. He now thought that he had figured out Scar's plan. Under so much pressure, even his brother knew that he needed as much help as he could get. Fighting with others was no use, it was better to make friends of them. Even of those who declared that they would start no friendships. Apparently, even the sleazy, self-centered Scar had ways to convince people to work with him.

Mufasa almost chuckled. _He had always been this way…_

True, this one gesture of kindness could not possibly repair the consequences of long years of conflict. Way too much harm had already been done. But in these circumstances, he considered it a step in the right direction.

Scar was right. It was all about survival right now. Mufasa had his strength, his brother had his wits, and now, his two new female allies. If they worked together, perhaps there was still hope for them.

Lying on the hay, Mufasa remembered his home. He wondered what Simba and Sarabi were up to out there, under the sun of the savanna… Oh, what he would give to see them again! He wondered how his mate was doing, ruling the Pridelands as queen regent in his absence. He wondered how much his son had grown.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, he lifted his heart in petition to the Great Kings of the past, asking them that they would give him strength in order to return… Him, as well as Scar.

He let himself doze off. And as he did so, he failed to notice that some sort of a commotion had started around him. Humans were working outside, preparing the amphitheater for the continuation of the great Games.

Scar, who was awake, saw them moving about. And when two humans walked into the beast pens, he noticed that they too were wearing collars. He realized that they were also slaves.

Before the lion was able to inform his brother about his discovery, however, he noticed that the humans fixed their eyes at him, began talking to one another nervously, and then quickly departed.

-"You shoulda listened to Zidi, clawsnfangs…" Ursus mumbled to him from his cage ominously. - "Shoulda not touched those collars…"

Before Scar, or anyone, could do anything, a whole throng of humans rushed into the pens.

Mufasa was stirred by the sudden ruckus, and his brother calling his name. As soon as he saw tamers with grapnels and long rods entering their cage, he reacted automatically with a natural urge to attack. And although Scar did the same thing…

… the humans, used to handling unruly beasts, beat both the lions into submission. Bruised and bound by their awful devices, Mufasa and Scar could only growl and curse as their captors put a new set of collars around their necks. Then, slamming the metal doors behind their backs, they departed, congratulating one another on a job well done.

The brothers, in spite of having been completely battered, immediately became the laughing stock of their pen. Only Pardus kept himself from ridiculing them, but Pardus never laughed. Thoroughly exhausted from the beating they received, as well as from Ursus, Burns, Zidi and Jo's mockery, Mufasa and Scar collapsed side by side on the hay, panting.

The older brother realized yet again how great was the power which they were facing- which they needed to overcome somehow, if they were ever to see their homeland again. And he knew well that in order for that to be possible, him and Scar would need help from above.

When the other captive animals finally got bored and ceased laughing, hurting both in body and soul, Mufasa rolled over to his belly with a groan of pain and looked through the window at the distant sky.

-"Tusaidie, baba…" - he mumbled. - "Tusaidie…"

Scar then lifted his head from the floor. When their eyes met, Mufasa was taken aback by how much rage he saw in his sibling.

-"Don't you _dare_ pray to him!" - the dark lion hissed viciously.

Truly, the old scars have not yet been healed.

* * *

 **AN:** _ **Tusaidie, baba**_ **means 'help us, father' is Swahili. Of course, Mufasa is addressing the deceased king Ahadi.**

 **We need more freakin' Mufasa- that's what we need! In my older stories, I usually focus on Scar. But don't get me wrong- I still find the older of the brothers to be a very interesting character, as well.** **Again, if you are interested in the events from Mufasa and Scar's past which they mention, check out "Taka's Guard".**

 **A little more about the Roman world in this chapter. Of course, there will be much more, as the Games are about to begin. So please tell me how you like that, as well as the brothers' relations with the other animals. Until next time! Maybe then we'll know more about what Scar's devious plan really is, and also, what the brothers will have to face on the sands of the arena.  
**


	11. Arena

**AN: Hey, we're back! Here's a long one as reward for your wait. Let the games begin ;)**

* * *

 **CAPUT XI – ARENA** (Sand)

 _(Mufasa)_

Distant sounds, like a bunch of monkeys screaming at each other from afar, called him back from the land of sleep. After that, he felt the ground underneath him shake.

The sensation was similar to a stampede, yet it couldn't have been one, as Mufasa was still locked up in a cage below the amphitheater. He saw that clearly when he finally shook off his drowsiness, and stood up to take a look around.

The other animals in the prison were also standing erect, alerted by the situation. When Ursus noticed the startled look on Mufasa's face, he smirked, and explained to him the reason for all the noise.

-"Horse races", the bear said with mirth. - "Not quite our turn yet. But I think this is just a calm before the storm, even though it's pretty noisy."

A bit concerned by how this predicament seemed to excite the experienced fighter, the lion frowned. But then he realized that he actually still didn't understand what Ursus was talking about.

-" _Horses?_ " - he repeated in confusion, walking toward the window of their cell in order to see this odd spectacle for himself.

-"They're almost like zebras, only without the make-up," - Scar explained to him, following suit. "Those were the same strange beasts which the towel-headed humans rode during our journey through the desert."

When both of the brothers peeked through the barred hole in the wall, all they could see at first was a thick cloud of dust. From within it, every once in a while, there emerged a crazed stallion, running like the wind, burdened with the weight of a human rider. The animals' muscles were strong and tight, flexing under their sweaty skin. Somewhere above their heads, a whole crowd was cheering, creating an almost unbearable noise.

 _How deplorable_ , thought the king, disgusted with the sight.

Leaving his brother by the window, he then started to walk in circles around the cell, unable to stop thinking about what would happen next. Something gruesome was in the air. The sounds and the scents coming from all around made him think dreadful thoughts. What was worse, the new collar around his neck was scraping his skin, creating a terrible, irritating itch.

As he traipsed like that aimlessly, growling under his breath, he noticed Pardus standing at the bars of his own cage, piercing him with a drilling gaze. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

-"Quit staring at me like that!" – he snapped.

Yet the black panther, completely undeterred, refused to turn his eerie bright-green eyes away for some reason.

His brother also seemed too anxious to keep watching the race right now, so he too soon turned away from the window. Walking toward the lionesses, he inquired:

-"What happens now? Are we… supposed to fight someone?"

But all the females could offer him, was a conciliatory smile.

-"Your guess is as good as ours, Scar," - said Zidi. - "It's really hard to predict what the humans come up with. But don't you think it's more exciting this way?"

Mufasa could feel that his brother was having trouble pretending to be calm.

-"Not particularly…" he mumbled back to them.

-"Hey, don't worry!" - the young huntress Jo skipped over to him, beaming with enthusiasm. – "It'll be much easier for you once you feel the taste of blood for the first time. Honest!"

Though Scar smiled at her, Mufasa recognized that to be the expression his brother usually showed to those whom he considered to be complete idiots.

He didn't pay that much attention, however, as the tiger Shaheed was also expressing how 'excited' he was with what would happen next. Actually, he had even more trouble hiding his fears than Scar.

-"H-hey Ursus," - the one they called Burns addressed the bear with a shaky voice, waving his striped tail around nervously. – "W-which one of us do you think they'll drag out there first?"

-"Huh. Well, you know these Games are irregular, so we can only speculate," - Ursus responded. – "But I'd say that, most likely, you, Scar and Mufasa better get ready for some serious action. Sorry guys, but the new beasts almost always get tested early on. The humans want to filter out the inferiors straight off the bat."

The lion brothers shared a communicative look. Burns swallowed loudly. It became clear that he too was about to enter the arena for the first time.

Mufasa spent the next few hours (or at least what felt like hours) gazing at the sky through the window, imploring the Great Kings for help inaudibly so as to not offend Scar. The silence within the pens was only interrupted by Burns, who whined from time to time that "he can't stand this waiting".

Finally, after the race had ended, the animals heard the doors of the chamber open, the heads of all of them immediately tilting that way.

Mufasa felt the scent of human flesh, which made him bare his fangs.

Into the corridor between the cages there walked two men. One of them, wrapped in a shabby, dirty cloth, with an iron collar around his neck, was obviously a slave. The second one was a bald, fat individual dressed in a sparkling white tunic.

Their _owner_.

Having recognized the man who bought both him and his brother on the market, Mufasa fixed his eyes at him with a hateful expression, which promised retaliation as soon as the human came within the reach of his claws. But the merchant himself, feeling safe behind the thick metal bars, only crossed his arms and turned to the slave.

-"Quid agunt illi?" – he issued a harsh inquiry.

The other man, not bold enough to look at his master's face, responded:

-"Omnes bene valent, domne. Parati sunt ad proelium."

Mufasa and the merchant continued to stare one another in the eyes. The lion knew exactly that it was this weak creature who put the collar around his neck, and that the collar and the cage were the only things that restrained him. If it were otherwise, the human would not be acting so bravely right now. This Mufasa promised him, growling silently.

Finally, the bald man turned toward his slave, and issued a brief command.

-"Bene. Omnia modo ordinario."

Then, he turned away and proceeded toward the exit.

-"Etiam, domne," – the servant responded obediently, and followed him.

When the doors were locked behind their backs, Ursus addressed the new arrivals, offering an explanation.

-"That guy is called Grassus the Beastmaster. He runs everything down here."

-"Hmph. _Beastmaster_ ," – Scar said mockingly, brooding in his corner with the lionesses at his side. – "He is not a _master_ to us. Only a pathetic jailer. How I would like to face _him_ in the arena…"

-"Ha! That's a no-brainer!" – laughed Jo, amused. – "All of us would! But our opponents are usually a little more challenging than Grassus."

Even though the young female seemed excited, her comment made a shiver run down Burns' back. Seeing the tiger flinch, Mufasa looked at his brother. They both didn't seem afraid, but rather gloomy and uncertain of what would happen. The mysterious cries of the crowd outside did not comfort them in the least. The humans appeared to be howling in bloodlust.

And then, the doors were opened again, and a bunch of dirty slaves with long pikes rushed into the hallway. The one who led them was the same slave who had accompanied Grassus. Only this time, he assumed the role of the leader himself. He was holding a whip in his hand, screaming at the inferior servants, ordering them to hurry.

-"Citius, filii canis!" – yelled the man, lashing the ground to create an intimidating effect.

Everyone stood still, petrified by the anticipation. Suddenly, another door was opened by some invisible force.

The door at the back of Ursus' cage.

As soon as that happened, a wave of noise came rushing in from the other side- a cacophony of human screams. The slaves stood by the bars and poked their long sticks through them, forcing the bear to walk in the direction of the open passage.

-"Eia! Citius!" – yelled the master slave. – "Fortior, bestiae abominabiles!"

Ursus smiled slightly, and said something that Mufasa only understood from reading his lips to be the words- 'guess I'm up first. Wish me luck, clawsnfangs!'.

Then, he howled in a manner that the lion had not heard before in his life.

-" _RRRAAAAAW!_ "

The human slaves took a step back… but afterwards, feeling their boss' whip licking their backs, they continued to force Ursus to proceed toward the narrow exit. And so he did, vanishing from the other animals' sight. The door slammed behind his back, and the yelling subsided.

Then the slaves quickly departed, leaving the cells in silence.

For a moment, Mufasa listened to the outside screams, trying to make out what was going on. Anxious to see the action for himself, feeling as his heart pounded in excitement, he ran toward the window of his cell, and stood up against the wall, poking his nose through the hole.

-"It's no use," - Zidi then told him. – "You won't be able to see crap from this angle."

Unfortunately, she was right. Still, being close to the window, the lion could at least hear what was going on better. Realizing that as well, Scar left the females in the corner and also came over, sitting behind his brother's back, whipping the floor with his tail impatiently.

The noises they heard were an ebbing and flowing tide of human screams, alternately representing excitement, shock, and disappointment. They were mixed with Ursus' violent growling, which sounded surprisingly vicious when compared to the bear's usual placid behavior.

It was evident that he was fighting a battle to the death. But what the two lion didn't know, was who, or what, Ursus was struggling against.

Mufasa was trying to make out whom the humans were cheering for, and realized that Scar was probably doing the same. After a couple of long minutes, his brother turned toward the lionesses, asking them with a rather overstrung voice-

-"Do you think he is going to come back alive?"

The females, who were completely used to these kind of situations, looked at him with glee.

-"Ursus?" – said Jo. – "Yeah, he always comes back!"

-"How about yourself, though?" – her mother jeered. – "Do you think you'll manage to return from the arena in one piece?"

Not too fond of her mockery, Scar turned away from both of them with a bitter frown on his face, mouthing a curse.

In the meantime, Mufasa noticed that the crowd had just erupted in a huge outburst of joy.

-"I think it's over," – he stated, turning away from the window, unsure if the humans' joy meant anything good for them.

The lion then sat by the bars of his cell, Scar joining him at his side. The brothers had their eyes fixed at the passage leading to the arena. Mufasa noticed that Burns, Pardus, and, in spite of their outward indifference, even Zidi and Jo were also looking that way in silence, waiting.

Then the doors were flung open with a metallic screech, and in rolled the panting and exhausted Ursus. Dragging his feet, covered in sweat and blood which wasn't his own, he collapsed in the middle of the cell.

-"Ohhh damn it all… I'm seriously… getting too old for this!" – the bear huffed, reaching for his water bowl and beginning to drink ravenously.

-"He's okay!" – Mufasa exclaimed to the others, unwittingly content with his companion surviving the fight.

-"Hmph. We told ya," – Jo answered him plainly, though both her and her mother were smiling as well.

As the others applauded what seemed to be but another in a long line of Ursus' victories, Mufasa saw Scar looking at him with a lot more concern.

The black-maned lion did not laugh. Instead, he examined those details about the bear's appearance which were much more gruesome.

Ursus' muzzle was covered in blood, the scent of which made Scar feel extremely uncomfortable. He also noticed shreds of grey fur attached to the bear's huge claws.

-"What… were you fighting with out there?" – the lion asked in a lowered voice.

-"Huh?" – Ursus took his mouth out of the empty bowl, trying hard to turn his huge tired body in Scar's direction. – "Oh, it were… hyenas. Guess you know what those are… right? Must've been almost a dozen of'em…. Filthy critters. I really hate those mangy balls of filth… Good thing they're so dull. And fragile, too."

Mufasa noticed that, for some reason, this revelation made the look in his brother's eyes become extraordinarily hollow.

He didn't have much time to guess why, however, as the gates opened again, and the animals within the pens saw the same band of human slaves once more, with their master hurrying them with his whip. This time, the men stuck their pikes through the bars of Burns' cage. When the tiger saw that, he sprung up in fright, his paws shaking.

-"Oh holy _crap_!" - squealed the feline, hearing the gate behind his back opening. – "S-so early?! No no no, gimme a minute here! I'm not ready yet!"

-"Uh, they don't care if you're ready or not…" – Jo rolled her eyes at him.

-"Burns… don't struggle," – Ursus also offered him a piece of advice. – "Do what they want. You know that's the smart choice."

-"C'mon, we're counting on you!" – Mufasa also encouraged him, although by the look of the others' faces he saw that he may have been rather alone in feeling that.

The desperate tiger bit his lip, backing up from the sharp points of the humans' long poles. Giving his fellow cell mates a last glance of farewell, he nodded, and vanished from their sight.

Realizing that they would be able to see more this time, both the lion brothers rushed toward the window. Since Scar was standing closer, he positioned himself right in the middle, and when Mufasa got there as well, he pushed him aside.

-"Argh! Make way!" – the younger lion snarled, attempting to push back.

-"Look, calm down! There's enough room for both of us!" – Mufasa tried to reason with him, yet not without raising his voice.

Grumbling, not too happy about being forced to have his head basically pressed against that of his brother, Scar finally calmed himself.

They were now able to see as Burns made his way up the stairs which led to the arena from the underground pens, poking his red head through the door carefully. When he put his paws on the sand, the humans around him started to cheer, confusing him even more.

Mufasa and Scar heard Ursus' voice behind their backs.

-"So, did he walk out? Or is he still shaking in the hallway?"

-"He did go out," – Mufasa announced, turning around. He noticed that Zidi, Jo, and Pardus were also sitting in anticipation, waiting for the lions' commentary on the battle.

-"Well, who's he standing against?" – inquired the curious younger lioness, pricking her ears up.

-"Wait a minute…" – Mufasa strained his eyes.

Though the sun and the dust made it difficult for him to see that far, he was finally able to notice Burns' opponent. As the tiger stood in the midst of the arena, growling menacingly, a bipedal creature with a very peculiar appearance approached him, waving his hand at the crowd. Another human announced the oddly-dressed gladiator's name, and the gathered spectators began to chant it repeatedly.

-"Burns is fighting a human," - Mufasa announced to the others.

-"What? Just one?" – Ursus wondered in astonishment.

-"How's he look like?" – inquired Zidi.

Mufasa took a closer look, but could not find the right words to describe the human fighter's equipment.

-"He is… he has some sort of a cover over his head and shoulder, but his chest and legs are bare. He's carrying a long sharp stick."

-"That's what they call a spear, clawsnfangs," – Ursus explained to him. – "But if he's not wearing armor, he can't be a _hoplomachus_. What else has he got?"

-"A rope," – the observant Scar noticed something which seemed very strange to him. – "The human has a long bundle of rope hanging from his belt."

-"Ah, a _laquearius_ then!" – the bear exclaimed. – "Oh man, the tiger is in for some fun. That stick is not a spear, in that case, but a _pilum_ \- a javelin."

-"What's the bloody difference?" – inquired Scar, still keeping his eyes fixed on the approaching _laquearius._

-"Heh-heh, you'll see…" – Ursus answered him mysteriously.

-"You're about to witness a tiger hunt with a twist," – said Jo, drawing far too much pleasure from that statement.

Hearing those words made Mufasa feel very strange. In the past, the words 'tiger hunt' would have meant for him that the tiger was the one who would be doing the hunting. This time, however, he was about to see the big feline as he was being _hunted_.

With the lion brothers looking on, Burns awaited his opponent to face him, standing in a militant pose, ready to pounce. In the meantime, the man seemed to savor the moment, walking slowly as he showered in the glory offered him by the cheering crowd. When he was finally done, he closed the visor of his shiny brass helmet, and lifted his weapon.

It was then that Mufasa and Scar learned the difference between a spear and a javelin.

Instead of approaching the tiger close enough to be able to stab him, the _laquearius_ grasped the shaft, bent back, and flung it straight at Burns with terrible speed and accuracy.

Mufasa almost gasped, seeing how the surprised tiger narrowly avoided the projectile, which lodged itself in the sand right next to his paw. The lion could almost hear Burns curse as he gazed back at his opponent, growling in fury.

The human, however, put his hands on his hips and laughed, as if demonstrating his valor to the onlookers. Now unarmed, he proceeded to circle around the tiger carefully.

But the angered animal had enough of waiting for an attack. Instead, he charged at the man himself, forcing him to make a run for it.

They now stood at the opposite sides of the arena.

-"What's that fool doing?!" – whined Scar, struggling with his brother for more room by the window. – "Can't he see that the man is trying to retrieve his weapon?"

-"Wait and find out!" – Mufasa responded, giving him a jab to the side.

The younger lion's speculations turned out to be true. After pretending to squat for a moment, noticing that he was now near his weapon, the _laquearius_ suddenly ran forward, heading toward the planted javelin.

But apparently Burns was no rookie hunter, either. Rushing in the man's direction, he was able to outrun him before the gladiator managed to grab hold of the weapon. Forced to halt suddenly, the man slipped on the sand, barely able to maintain his balance.

Standing by the javelin with his sharp fangs exposed, Burns continued to observe his opponent closely. The spectators gave him a round of applause.

Waving at the other humans again, a bit embarrassed, the _laquearius_ indicated that he was not done yet. Then, he reached for his other toy.

-"He's going to use that rope for some reason," – Mufasa shared the info with the other cell mates. – "But what can he do with a rope?"

-"Surprisingly, a lot," – Zidi explained to him with a smirk on her face.

The stupefied brothers now saw as the man began playing with the rope he was holding, twirling loops over his head, getting closer to the tiger with every step.

Burns knew what his enemy was trying to do, and he definitely didn't want to let himself get trapped so easily.

When the gladiator attempted to lasso him, the tiger made a swift sidestep. But since he was now away from the javelin again, fearing that the human might try another attempt to retrieve his weapon, he charged at him with a snarl, making the _laquearius_ move back.

Ultimately, it was no use. They could dance like this forever, without any progress. The human tried to catch Burns in his snare a few more times, but finally, the tiger decided to take the risk and not move away. He felt the noose tightening around his neck. As he had predicted, the man, with his feet firmly planted on the ground, began to flex his muscles, attempting to pull his prey toward himself.

Burns considered this to actually be a good thing. After all, the human had left his _pilum_ in the sand.

Jerking his head and struggling for a while, just for show, he finally began to take steps in the direction of his opponent. Opening his mouth, he prepared to take a big bite.

But then the human, wrapping the rope around his elbow, reached for something else that the tiger had not noticed. Namely, his scabbard…

-"Oh no!" – Mufasa called out in dismay, noticing what the _laquearius_ was doing. – "He's got one of those metal claws!"

-"Haha! Surprise!" – Ursus burst out in an odd fit of merriment. – "That's actually called a poniard."

-"How can you laugh at a moment like this?!" – the lion scorned him.

Then, Scar gave him another poke.

-"Shut up and watch!"

Mufasa redirected his eyes at Burns. The ensnared tiger, having noticed the sharp tip of the gladiator's blade shining in the sun, dangerously close to his skin, buried his paws in the sand. His face twisted by a grimace of terror, he turned and twitched, trying to free himself from the lasso around his neck. But the rope was tight, and the man kept reeling him in.

As the _laquearius_ continued to get nearer to Burns with every step, Mufasa was speechless. His brother, however, could not remain silent.

-"Oh c'mon, you're stronger than him! Break free, you striped little pansy!"

Still, Mufasa had a feeling that it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Burns was trapped. He attempted to pull on the rope to make the human fall over, but that only brought the sharp edge of the poniard closer and closer. Desperate, the tiger roared, and the sound of his cry echoed above the heads of the spectators.

What he attempted to do next was quite daring, and very dangerous. But, ultimately, he had no other choice. As Mufasa clenched his fangs, he saw Burns concentrating all of his weight on his hind legs. That could only mean one thing- that he was about to pounce.

In a breathtaking moment, the hunter who was used to jumping on his prey from treetops in Indian forests lunged straight at his armed opponent, completely surprising him. When they collided, a low yelp could be heard, and the pair tumbled in the sand, creating a cloud of dust around them.

Mufasa and Scar's eyes went wide. The human crowd gasped.

-"What the hell is going on out there?!" – the curious Jo inquired anxiously. – "Is he dead?"

But the brothers had to wait for the dust to clear off. Actually, they were able to recognize what happened from what they heard sooner than from what they saw.

While the gladiator's groans were rather weak and pathetic, Burns kept snarling with full viciousness and power.

It turned out that, having been crushed with over 500 pounds of tiger flesh, the human not only let his blade slip out of his hand, but he also now had several broken bones.

And he was about to have many more of them broken still.

-"He's winning!" – Mufasa exclaimed joyously.

-"Lucky bastard…" – summarized Scar.

The scene which unraveled before their eyes made the spectators gasp in shock. The tiger, who was seemingly tied down by the _laquearius_ just a moment ago, had now trapped the gladiator himself.

Immobilizing him with his weight, Burns first tried to bite the human's windpipe, but when that proved impossible due to the protection provided by the helmet he was wearing, the tiger proceeded to slam him in the face with his massive paws, roaring madly as he did so. That resulted in the gladiator's head banging against the inside of its brass casing like a peanut in a washing machine.

When the _laquearius'_ moans went from faint to inaudible, a bunch of half-naked slaves jumped out of nowhere with grapnels and pikes, forcing Burns off the man. As two of the humans dragged the unconscious (and very likely dead) gladiator into the bowels of the amphitheater, the rest made the tiger return where he came from.

At first, Burns was pretty shocked by the crowd's applause and the bunch of men who poked him with their sticks. But as soon as one of them removed the noose from his neck, he noticed that the fight was over, and that it was time to return to the pens. _Alive_.

-"He's coming!" – said Mufasa, as both him and his brother moved away from the window and stood by the bars of Burns' cell.

As soon as all the others turned that way as well, the gate was opened, and in ran the victorious tiger. Shaking all over, he tried to catch his breath for a moment, when he noticed that the eyes of all the animals were fixed on him.

-"Well, you survived. So how was it?" – Ursus asked with just the slightest semblance of a smile.

When the tiger was finally able to calm down, he also smiled, but his was a full ear-to-ear grin.

-"That was… _awesome_!" – Burns exclaimed, almost jumping for joy. – "Did you hear the crowds? They were cheering for me! All of them! _Haha!_ "

-"Huh. Don't think that's gonna happen again if you lose…" – Zidi offered a more somber outlook.

-"Oh hush, dear. Let him bask in his little triumph," – Scar admonished her. – "Watching you was indeed entertaining, Shaheed. Much more than actually being out there, I'm sure."

His pupils still wide as saucers, Burns' voice remained bursting with excitement.

-"Yeah… But if you win… the feeling is incomparable to _anything!_ "

The tiger then went over to the adjacent cell, in which sat the ever-silent black panther, who was the tiger's closest companion.

-"Hey Pardus, I won! Aren't you gonna smile at least once?"

But the dark creature just kept on gazing at him without a word.

-"Well, maybe after your own first victory, then…"

Leaving the tiger to his celebrations, Mufasa went over to the window again. He noticed that, in the recess between the fights, the humans sent out slaves to clean up the blood and rake the sand in the arena. Then, some kind of a comedy show began, with a bunch of male humans pretending to be female humans, their routine consisting mostly of exposing their rear ends before the cheering crowd.

Ignoring that, the lion looked toward the sky. But before he began to ask the Old Kings for help again, he felt his brother's presence behind his back.

-"Are you ready, Mufasa?" – Scar asked him silently. – "Are you ready to fight, just like Shaheed has?"

He turned to face his sibling, speaking seriously and without fear.

-"I am ready to do whatever is necessary. And how about _you?_ "

Looking in his eyes, Scar exhibited a faint mocking smile.

But then, he nearly choked, hearing the sound of doors opening yet again.

-"Recess is over, clawsnfangs!" – Ursus announced, laughing out loud. - "Told you you'd get tested early!"

The vicious slave master cracked his whip, and this time, he pointed toward the brothers.

-"Uterque leones praeducite. Eia, stulti!"

Obediently, the skilled handlers surrounded both Scar and Mufasa with a forest of sharp lances, separating them from the rest of the animals.

-"Bloody hell…! Get away from me, you monsters!" – the younger brother resisted, visibly freaked out and greatly reluctant to leave their safe abode.

Mafasa didn't pay him much attention, instead focusing on roaring at the humans to emphasize his willpower and authority.

To all of that, the females responded with jeering.

-"Your time has come, boys!" – laughed Zidi. – "Go on, don't waste our hosts' time!"

-"Happy hunting, Scar!" – Jo waved at the furious lion. – "Stay safe, and remember to keep your eyes open!"

Eventually, the slaves forced the lions to stand at the very entrance to the hall which led toward the arena- the very way they came in. But they were sure that going down that corridor would not lead to freedom. Very likely, it could lead to their death.

Seeing how much his brother still resisted, Mufasa encouraged Scar to proceed, and face the inevitable.

-"Go on! This will be easier to do since there's two of us. Remember our hunting training! We need to work as a team!"

-"Just my luck that I get to have you as my teammate…" – the younger lion spat at him bitterly, accepting his fate. – "But there is no way _in hell_ I'm going out there first! You lead the way, oh great Lion King!"

Looking down the long, dark corridor, Mufasa felt his paws shake.

-"Tusaidie, baba…" – he whispered, and proceeded to walk on, leaving the other animals and the slaves in the pens. He soon heard his brother's uncertain footsteps behind his back.

He could feel the blood rushing through his veins. The feeling was comparable to participating in a hunt, yet there was one major difference. It was the sound. In the Pridelands, hunts were usually carried out in silence, up until the final moment. Here in Carthage, however, it seemed like the air was alive with voices.

As the brothers were getting close to the bright light at the end of the tunnel, the roaring of the crowd got louder and louder. At the foot of the stairs leading up, Mufasa halted for a while, dazed by the overwhelming mixture of sounds and scents. The sun was shining brightly, blinding him, as he had spent a long time underground.

Then, he heard Scar's voice again. It was smooth and calm, as if his brother had ultimately come to terms with whatever would happen.

-"Go on, brother. They're waiting for us. Let's show them what we're made of, and get this whole thing over with."

Confidently raising his head, trying to look regally, Mufasa began to ascend the stairs, whispering a silent prayer in the depth of his heart, where he also carried the image of Sarabi and Simba.

 _For them._

Only when he entered the arena and felt the sand underneath his paws did the lion realize the true grandeur of the Carthaginian amphitheater. Able to only observe a part of it from the confines of his cell, he did not know that the building could hold so many people. Indeed, there were uncountable throngs of them here, and all of them screaming, crying out for blood.

The bright light, the smell of flesh, and the overwhelming noise made Mufasa's head spin.

* * *

 **AN: Yes, the word 'arena' actually just means 'sand' in Latin.**

 **I have a feeling that, before this story is finished, Mufasa and Scar are gonna hate sand more than Anakin Skywalker...**


	12. Sanguis Prima

**AN: *Warning***

 **Gore ahead.**

 _ **(Duh…)**_

* * *

 **CAPUT XII – SANGUIS PRIMA** (First Blood)

 _(Scar)_

He had hunted before. He had fought before. But never like this.

As soon as Scar entered the arena of the Carthaginian amphitheater, he knew that he was in trouble. Of course, he understood that he would be forced to fight, but this was all supposed to look very differently! He imagined that he would have Zidi and Jo by his side to help him out in the battle. After all, this was precisely why he had gone through the effort of trying to convert the experienced lionesses to his side.

But now, he was stuck with no one but Mufasa… He could only thank himself for the genius plan of wooing his brother by removing his collar. Mufasa, though alone, was still pretty big, and could at least serve as a living shield.

Scar remembers their hunts together, back in the Pridelands, when they were only kids. Those happened only occasionally, as the _kiongozi_ of the Lion Guard spent most of his time with his fellow guardians, and was generally exempt from hunting. But every once in a while, their father would take him and Mufasa to the savanna, to observe both his sons' developing skills.

All of that ended with queen Uru's death. When Ahadi set out on his self-imposed exile due to the guilt he felt after his mate's accidental death (the same guilt which his younger son had planted deep in his mind), Scar and Mufasa hardly even spoke to one another, let alone hunted.

But now, no matter how much he tried to deny it, Scar needed his brother there by his side. When he too looked up toward the spots where the human spectators sat, immediately being stunned by the blinding light and overwhelming noise, he felt his weak legs shake. He noticed that even the mighty Mufasa looked greatly troubled by the scent of the sand underneath their feet, which seemed to only thinly cover a whole lake of blood that had belonged to countless creatures of various species.

He had not felt so weak since the day the Old Kings took the Roar of the Elders away from him. Recalling that dreadful event made him cringe. Perhaps, his ancestors had finally decided to exact their revenge on him, through the hands of the humans…

But, if they did, why was his brother there?

Not failing to notice the blankness in Scar's usually sharp eyes, Mufasa sent him a reassuring look.

The brothers' eyes met.

-"Udugu," – said the older one of them, and nodded.

Scar knew that _udugu_ was an old word for 'kinship', the brotherly bond between lions of the same blood.

 _Yes, Mufasa. Udugu_ – thought the younger lion, also nodding. – _Keep pretending as if that is still the truth. And keep pretending that you are not afraid. It's either that, or death._

They now stood side by side, looking up at the gathered crowd. The amphitheater, which could seat 30 thousand men, was about half-full. The building was composed of a circle of arches supported by columns. On the walls, there were eerie pictures representing animals being killed in a score of different ways.

When the lion brothers, having gotten used to the sun, roared at the mass of humans in anger and defiance, their voices amplified by the enormous edifice's acoustics, the mob answered with an outburst of excitement.

Then, a bald man standing on a podium towering above the arcades, draped in white, lifted his hands, and all went as silent as a crowd of 15 thousand could possibly be.

Scar recognized this loathsome master of ceremonies.

-" _Grassus,_ " – he spat out the name, addressing his brother. – "Our _owner_."

Mufasa bared his sharp fangs, yet stood silent, staring straight at the man even though he couldn't understand his words.

-"Domini dominaeque Carthaginis! Iterum salvete! Mox cuius sanguis nunc effusa erit in medio arenae, homini vel leonis, videbimus! Plaudite, amici! Plaudite!" *

Grassus began beating his chubby hands together like a maniac, laughing. Surprisingly, the humans followed his lead, and the volume of the racket became so intense that it almost gave Scar a headache.

The master of ceremonies then pointed at him and his brother.

-"In hoc angulo, duo leones breve de Africa Meridiana adducti, bestiae fortissimae! Laus!" *

Another wave of applause, after which Grassus raised his hand again, pointing toward the gate in the adjacent wall.

-"Et in hoc angulo, ascensores nostri celebrissimi, Sulo et Haca, Venatores Aethiopi! Fortuna eos adiuvet!" *

Grassus modulated with his voice like a professional orator, introducing the contestants of this bloody game, making the spectators lose their minds from anticipation. Amidst all the shouting, Scar could hear a metallic sound, and the huge metal door began to lift. Both him and his brother fixed their eyes at the door, nervously awaiting what monstrosity would emerge from the other side.

 _What face shall my demise have… father?_ – the dark lion, unsure if searching for hope still had any sense, absentmindedly addressed one of his hated ancestors.

The gaping black hole of the gate stood open before them, and Scar clenched his fangs even tighter. His breath was weak and unsteady. The speed of the blood rushing through his skull blurred his sight, and the power with which his heart beat caused him physical pain.

Just like on the day he lost the Roar. But what he also vaguely recalled from that devastating event, were the words with which the Old Kings had addressed him.

 _We will not kill you. You will live on, and may your scars remind you of your shame._

 _You cannot kill me…_ \- he whispered back at them now, his thoughts flooded with venom and anguish. – _You've bound yourselves with your word…_

In the meantime, his brother, also shaking with emotion, kept gazing at the mass of humans above their heads. There were men and women of all walks of life, recognizable by the quality of the seats they occupied and the state of their clothing. Most of them were inebriated. Some figuratively, others literally.

-"Savages…" – said the dumbstruck king. – "How can seeing other creatures die entertain them so much?"

Scar had no time to respond to that question. He finally saw who was to be their opponent when a big strong horse suddenly jolted from inside the bowels of the amphitheater, making the humans shriek in joy.

But the problem was that it wasn't just the horse. Behind his back, the equine was pulling a light wooden cart, on top of which stood something that looked like a human. The creature was hard to recognize, as its body was mostly covered in glistering metal armor. As the chariot sped through the arena, kicking up dust with its iron wheels, its driver waved his dark-skinned hand at the crowd, which shouted the hunter's name.

 _SU-LO! SU-LO! SU-LO!_

Scar was just about to comment on this odd contraption, but then, suddenly, a second chariot appeared, just like the first one, only riding in the opposite direction. This one's driver looked almost exactly like his partner, with golden armor and dark brown skin. The spectators cried out his name, as well.

 _HA-CA! HA-CA! HA-CA!_

The sight of the twin charioteers made Mufasa curse, what he did extremely rarely.

-"Damn," – the lion addressed his brother in anger, watching their opponents closely. – "It's two against two this time!"

Scar was having trouble keeping himself from shaking, but still had enough willpower to respond by saying:

-"That's _four_ against two, you halfwit…"

He didn't have a chance to say anything more, however, as one of the chariots, the one driven by Sulo the Ethiopian, suddenly turned, heading straight at the brothers.

-" _He's gonna run us over!_ " – Mufasa gasped, immediately rushing out of the way. The crowd cheered, but for whom, they knew not.

Scar also managed to narrowly avoid the horses' hoofs and, with a hammering heart, stood by his brother again, desperately trying to observe both of the chariots that were now circling around them.

-"Is their plan to keep charging until they trample us to death?" – he huffed, disoriented.

-"The humans seem to be enjoying this," - his brother responded.

The second wagon of destruction, driven by Haca, also turned their way, and the lions were forced to flee from its path as well. Only this time, they ran in opposite directions.

Finding himself alone, panting and turning his head in confusion, Scar was able to locate his brother, standing at a significant distance away.

-"What… are you doing?!" – yelped the lion, feeling extremely uncomfortable all by himself. – "Get back over here at once…"

Before he even finished the sentence, however, he gasped suddenly. After barely hearing a short swish, he fixed his eyes at the sand right in front of him. The shaft of an arrow was sticking out of the ground.

Scar turned his trembling head toward the one of the charioteers who had gone out of his sight for merely a second, and noticed that the man was holding a bow. He was also already reaching for the quiver at his side for another arrow.

He remembered the lion which the humans had shot to death just the other night, and felt a shiver running down his spine.

-"Don't just stand there! _Move!_ " – his brother yelled at him, noticing that Scar had become petrified, which was not a good thing while being shot at.

The riders continued to circle round the arena, taking turns at targeting the one of the brothers who was closer at a given moment. Luckily for Scar and Mufasa, their chariots were shaky, and scoring a hit proved more of a challenge once both lions began zick-zacking all around chaotically.

Finally, noticing a wooden wall by the edge of the arena, they both ran to hide behind it in order to escape the constant rain of sharp projectiles.

After scaring away the human guards who stood there, Mufasa collapsed with his back against the boards. Scar soon joined him, gasping for air and putting a paw to his aching chest.

-"They gotta… run out of arrows… at some point!" – his brother tried to console the younger lion.

Scar, however, had no strength in him to respond. What was worse, Mufasa soon filched, as one of the arrowheads pierced the wood right by his shoulder.

-" _Gah!_ " – the king's eyes went wide. Scar thought that he had not seen his brother so terrified in quite some time.

-"We've got to get out of here!" – Mufasa announced, proving that he was genuinely concerned for his life, probably for the first time ever.

His sibling didn't like that idea, though.

-"Go mate yourself! I'm not going anywhere!" – he snapped back, finally able to stand up on his legs again.

Unfortunately, the spectators did not enjoy not being able to see the lions. Noticing their discontent, Grassus the Beastmaster motioned at the guards.

A bunch of heavily armored handlers then appeared out of nowhere with spears, trying to force both lions to return to the arena.

Mufasa only hesitated because his brother refused to go, but Scar was far more stubborn.

-" _RAH!_ " – he roared at the guards as loud as he could. – "Leave me alone, you filth…"

The humans, however, were not there to play. As soon as they saw the animal's defiance, they began to poke him with their sharp prods.

Scar groaned, moved back by a few paces, and looked at his shoulder in horror.

-"I'm bleeding…" – he gasped. Before he was able to do anything else, another spearhead struck him in the snout, nearly gouging out his eye.

This time, the lion cried out in genuine fear. This reminded him of a certain past event which had scarred him for life, both physically and mentally. So much so that it made him change his name.

Seeing that he was hurt, Mufasa encouraged his brother to follow him even more eagerly. Finally, the desperate younger lion agreed.

Once again they were out in the open, exposed to the charioteers' ranged attacks. One of them, having indeed run out of arrows, now brandished a long javelin, much to the crowd's enjoyment.

-"What now…?" – Scar yelped, his tail between his legs.

It was apparent that the charioteer was charging straight at them again, wishing to get close enough to throw his _pilum_ at one of the lions. They could hear the horse neigh, and the ground shake underneath the animal's hoofs and the wheels of the chariot.

-"Stay put!" – Mufasa suddenly issued an order which seemed completely insane, assuming a battle pose.

 _Has he gone mad…?_ – thought his brother.

The chariot was already so close that Scar could see the driver's dark eyes, peeking out through the holes of his helmet. The man smiled as he lifted his javelin.

He wasn't able to stand this anymore. Fearing that both of them would be run over, Scar quickly jumped aside, forcing the Ethiopian to turn in order to aim at him again properly.

And that was exactly what Mufasa was waiting for.

Showing exceptional courage, he stayed put, even as he already stood face to face with the horse. Then, at the very moment when the charioteer got distracted with his fleeing brother, the huge lion opened his mouth, roaring from the top of his voice, and rose up on his hind legs, stretching out him clawed paws as if getting ready to pounce.

The terrified horse froze, slipping on the sand. Then, neighing horribly, he stood erect, kicking the air with his front legs.

-" _Eheu, merdaaa!_ " – yelled the rider as his chariot quaked underneath his feet. His javelin slipping from his hand, he stumbled and lost his balance, falling over head-long onto the arena.

-" _Sulo!_ " – his partner yelled his way. – "Sursum, insane!"

But the gladiator was not fast enough. Seeing the huge Mufasa charging at him, he had to quickly flee away from his chariot. Puling out his short sword from its scabbard, he pointed it at the furious feline, panting. The two began circling around one another.

In the meantime, Scar found himself alone by the bewildered abandoned horse. For some reason, this made him think of his first kill. It was years ago, back in the Pridelands, when he was just a short-maned adolescent. Though a prince, Scar, who had still been called Taka at that time, was not allowed to hunt on his own yet, at least not until an official first lone venture into the savanna. It was a custom of the royal family, and one which, by precedence, ought to have been completed by Mufasa first. Taka, however, had a reason for breaking these rules. Namely, bribing the local hyena pack, and winning them over to his side.

He had succeeded then, and brought the hyenas an antelope. He specifically recalled how proud his first kill made him feel. After that, he hunted gazelles, wildebeests, zebras… Zebras which were the size of horses. Like the one standing in front of him.

The stallion's leg was stuck in his harness, and since he was occupied with trying to free himself, he failed to notice the dark lion creeping in on him from the side.

Scar felt enchanted with the screams of the humans, crying out for blood. It amplified his inner wrath. And, for the first time, he could partially understand them.

When he pounced at the defenseless horse, clinging to his neck, some of the humans cheered. When he buried his fangs in the animal's throat, making his blood spill on the sand, a few of them even stood up.

But when the stallion began to desperately jump around, neighing and begging for his life, with the persistent predator still attached to his body and tearing deeper into it with his fangs and claws, the show Scar put on caused the crowd to erupt in a wave of applause.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline and the taste of blood, the dark cat brought his victim to the ground. As he was squeezing the last bits of life out of it, he managed to catch a glimpse of the expression on his brother's face.

Mufasa, noticing the commotion, turned around from the sword-wielding gladiator for a while, only to notice that in a short time since he stopped the chariot, his brother had already managed to slaughter the man's horse. Scar had trouble distinguishing whether Mufasa was showing shock, admiration, or both. But either way, the dark lion _liked_ it.

-" _Scar!_ " – the older brother then yelled, his voice assuming a note of rebuke. – "The horses are not our enemy! Focus on the humans!"

 _That damned wise-guy… -_ the victorious lion thought to himself.

Then, having made sure that his prey had breathed its last, relaxing his jaws, he lifted his head and, with blood dripping from his chin, he answered:

-" _You_ focus on the humans!"

He said that in the nick of time, as the Ethiopian was already charging at Mufasa, sword in hand. The lion dodged the attack with a furious snarl.

But Scar could not savor this little victory for long. Noticing that his partner was in trouble, the other gladiator, the one who was still on his chariot, charged to his aid. And what was worse, he still had his bow with him, as well.

Clenching his fangs, yet invigorated with excitement, Scar jumped away from the equine corpse, dodging another arrow. He had to think quick, however, as the human had his quiver ready.

And then it dawned on him.

 _Huh. Why, this is just like hunting a zebra!_

Actually, it was even easier than that. Zebras usually ran _from_ him. As for this horse, however, he was running _toward_ him.

It was then that Scar realized that he did not need the Roar of the Elders. In fact, he did not need anyone at all. Not thinking much about his safety while performing such a risky action, he decided to charge straight at the speeding chariot. The audience held their breath.

Cursing, the Ethiopian hunter quickly put away his bow, grabbing the reins before an inevitable collision. Turning rapidly, he made his horse run away from the lion…

… but the lion kept pursuing.

Scar quickly understood that the humans' horses were afraid of him. And that was exactly why he had nothing to fear from them.

Having aligned himself with the escaping mount as it frothed at the mouth and waved its head in despair and horror, Scar pounced, burying his claws in the horse's buttocks. That made the animal cry out in pain, and the crowd go wild with joy. Both sounds were like music to his ears.

As the horse kicked, Scar refused to let go. The man upon the chariot was holding on for his life at this point. His instincts taking over completely, the lion managed to find support, and springing from the ground, lunged himself even further. The claws of his hind paws sinking into the horse's leg, Scar succeeded in grabbing his neck.

In a matter of seconds, he clasped his jaws around the equine's windpipe.

At this point, the chariot came to a sudden halt, rolling over into a heap. The human rider screamed, being catapulted into the air.

The impact made him black out for a moment, but even when he tried to open his eyes, he couldn't, as there was sand in them. Spitting and flailing his arms around, the gladiator tore off his helmet.

When he was finally able to see clearly, but before being able to pull out his sword, the man saw something truly terrible standing before him.

It was the sight of a furious, blood-stained Scar.

In the meantime, Mufasa had managed to subdue the other charioteer. He had done that by avoiding an attack of his sword, and knocking him to the ground. When the man attempted to defend himself, as a first expression of his revenge, Mufasa bit him in the forearm, shattering the bones with his massive jaws. Leaving the defeated gladiator with stripes of flesh dangling from his arm, screaming and no longer able to fight, he then rushed to see how his brother was doing.

But the sight Mufasa witnessed then, he had not expected.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the spectacle the lions provided them with greatly. The older one of them noticed why. Behind his back, he saw the body of another dead horse with its throat torn out. Beside it, there sat Scar, towering over a stiff charioteer.

When Mufasa approached, he heard his sibling's voice, whispering menacingly.

-"Loathsome, pathetic primate, without claws or fangs. When someone takes away your tools, you are _nothing!_ "

When Scar heard his brother approach, he turned around and smiled, exposing his bloodied fangs. Mufasa almost gasped in shock.

Scar had eaten half of the man's face off.

He stood up as a proud victor, and Mufasa noticed that the audience was cheering for him. Scar noticed that as well. And he loved it.

-"Yes, brother. Now _this_ is a battle!" – he said, exhibiting the most disgusting smile Mufasa had ever seen, blood still streaming down his chest.

Then, Scar lifted his head, addressing the applauding crowd.

-"Behold, you damn weaklings! This is what power looks like! Feast your eyes!"

He felt like he had himself just enjoyed a fulfilling meal after months of fasting. Only that the hunger that he felt, was that of revenge. That he fulfilled today, punishing the humans for what they had done to him.

 _And yet, they cheer_ – he said in his heart. – _They applaud, even though I killed a member of their own kind. Shall they really have me do it again? Is it possible to ever experience a greater amount of such… joy?_

He noticed that his brother's mouth was also red.

-"Isn't their blood sweet?" – Scar said to Mufasa, continuing to smile.

The other lion visibly cringed.

-"You're deranged!" – he said to him, both disgusted and disturbed.

But Scar paid that no attention. Instead, continuing to bask in the noise of his satisfied spectators, he walked the arena as if it were his private kingdom. And it was at that time that he noticed movement.

Turning back to Mufasa, he addressed him with a dreadful malice.

-"Oh Muffy… You mean to tell me that, while I managed to take out three of our opponents, you failed to dispatch even one? Or did you simply _forget_ to finish the job?"

His brother now also fixed his eyes at the wounded gladiator, who was still lying in the sand, groaning in pain.

He immediately understood his sibling's intentions.

-"No, Scar! We've won!" – he insisted, turning his head in contradiction.

But his brother just laughed it off, and began to run.

-" _No!_ " – Mufasa yelled, and pursued after him.

The human, noticing that both of the lions were after him, snapped out of his wailing fit and got back up on his feet. But when he attempted to escape, it turned out that he had also injured his leg while falling off his chariot. Tripping, the Ethiopian landed with his face in the sand. Lifting up him eyes at the audience, he desperately sought any form of help. But all he saw was cold, ruthless mockery.

The humans had turned away from the failed member of their kind, instead cheering for the beasts who were about to end his life in the most spectacular way. They no longer cried out their favorite's name. Instead, they pointed their thumbs at their throats, shouting:

 _MORS! MORS! MORS! *_

The man still managed to stand up, and began to limp pathetically in the direction of the arena guards, crying out for help. But he was way too slow.

Noticing that he wouldn't be able to catch up with his brother, Mufasa halted, looking at the scene playing out before his eyes in horror.

He knew that his brother had a tendency to be merciless. Back in the Pridelands, some had even called him Taka the Cruel. But here, in the unforgiving environment of the arena, it seemed that all of Scar's limitations had finally been shattered.

When he caught up with the wounded gladiator, he pounced at him, pinning the man to the ground easily. As the desperate charioteer tried to defend himself with his only good hand, Scar bit him. Jerking his head around to the accompaniment of screams of pain, the lion shattered both the human's radius and his ulna in between his fangs. Then, taking his time, Scar found the exposed spot between the man's breastplate and the bottom of his helmet, and buried his teeth in his throat.

The crowd burst out in a wave of enthusiastic applause, and Grassus came forth to announce the _Leones Meridiani_ as the winners of this battle. But Mufasa did not enjoy this victory much. Instead, he was forced to look at what his brother was doing, thoroughly disturbed.

For Scar continued to bite and chew even after his victim had stopped moving. It was as if the applause of the humans fueled his madness.

-"Brother… what has happened to you?" – Mufasa, concerned and frightened, said as he observed the darkest side of his sibling's character unfolding before his eyes.

Before the guards ran over to force them back into their dungeon, Scar had managed to completely bite the charioteer's head off, creating around him a pool of blood. The men were only able to knock the severed nob out of the lion's mouth with their spears.

The crowd laughed as if all of this was excellent comedy, while Mufasa began to question his sanity.

Walking side by side with his brother, who was now almost unrecognizable because of all the blood which stained his face and mane, he looked at him in disgust as they returned to their cell.

Scar's maniacal laugh echoed within the stone corridor.

* * *

 **AD: Mind you, my Latin may not be as bad as my Swahili, but it's still far from perfect ;) What Grassus says is supposed to mean roughly this:**

 *** -Lords and ladies of Carthage, welcome back! Soon we shall see whose blood shall be spilled in the midst of the arena this time- the man, or the lion! Applause, my friends! Applause!**

 *** -In this corner, a pair of lions that were just brought from Southern Africa, most ferocious beasts. Bravo!**

 *** -In this corner, our famous charioteers, Sulo and Haca, the Ethiopian Hunters! May the odds be in their favor!**

 **And 'mors' is the Latin word for death. I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of that in the future. Let's remember that our main characters are lions. And lions are more than capable killers, especially if they enjoy it as much as Scar. Oh Scar... He don't need no Roar of the Elders to be fierce ;)**


	13. Amor Infecta

**AN:** _ **(Siiigh)**_

 **Just like probably most of us at this point, I recently saw the second trailer for the Lion King remake… And I have very strong opinions. Especially about one particular character.**

 **Scar.**

 **Bruh. Look at this dude. Look how they massacred my boy... They took this slick, cunning, charming, devious villain and made him into what looks like a run-of-the-mill bad guy who's had more diseases than full meals in the past couple of years. And that just makes me angry. Damn it, why the changes, people? Who thought that this would be a good idea?**

 **It may just be my opinion, but I loved Scar the way he was. And this is how I will portray him in my story. Screw those guys.**

 **So will Scar survive, after all they've done to him? I really don't know anymore… You can be sure of one thing, however- I will definitely finish this story, and the final fate of Mufasa and Scar will be determined this summer, when the remake finally comes out.**

 **Sorry for the rant, guys… Did you like the trailer? Many people complain about Scar's voice acting, but I think the design is completely off as well. Really makes me question if we need all those CGI remakes at all.**

* * *

 **CAPUT XIII – AMOR INFECTA** (Tainted Love)

 _(Mufasa)_

As the two victorious lions walked back to the safe confines of their underground pen, Mufasa didn't feel the happiness which winning a battle should normally provide him with. Instead, he felt deeply concerned for his brother. Yes, he was glad to have Scar as his aid in this fight for survival… but he never thought that he would be accompanied by a vicious maniac.

As for Scar, however, he was feeling much too happy for Mufasa's taste. Although the older lion could see that, now that the adrenaline had worn out, his brother barely dragged his paws, swaying from injury and exhaustion, Scar still continued to chuckle, as if this was the most enjoyable moment of his life. Mufasa had not seen his sibling so happy since the day he became leader of the Lion Guard. Only now, it was way scarier.

The older lion looked upon him deeply disturbed by the fact that senseless bloodshed seemed to entertain Scar just as much as it entertained the humans, in spite of his brother's previous declarations of having nothing but disdain for them.

-"You are a twisted lion, you do realize that?" – he finally said, right before the entrance to their cell.

Scar lifted his head heavily, snickering.

-"You've no idea…" – he responded. – "I'm actually almost looking forward… to doing this again!"

Hunting for sport was forbidden in the Pridelands, and although Mufasa had suspected Scar of breaking that law on multiple occasions, he never had any solid evidence. Now he was beginning to think that he was right, and that killing was actually something his brother enjoyed.

Rolling his eyes, content with the fact that, at the very least, neither Scar nor he got slaughtered in the arena that day, Mufasa followed his sibling into the beast pens.

Scar was already sitting in the middle, exhausted and filthy but as happy as ever, and all the other animals had their heads turned his way.

As soon as Mufasa stood by his brother's side, all of their fellow jail mates roared in admiration. It seemed that even they considered theirs to have been a pretty remarkable performance.

-"Yes, yes. I know, I know…" – Mufasa heard his brother say as an expression of just how humbly he accepted their praise.

Ursus the bear, smiling when he saw the two lions returning in one piece, walked up to the bars of his cage and hung his huge paws over them.

-"By the ten thousand tits of divine Artemis!" – he spoke with praise. – "Dear clawsnfangs, I must say I haven't seen a show this good since… well, at least last week!"

Zidi and Jo were at Scar's side almost immediately, skipping like a pair of gazelles.

-"Well, aren't you more than you let on…" – said the older lioness, fawning against his shoulder.

-"Told you you'd like it! You know how to play this game impressively well for a beginner," – the younger one stated, looking pretty impressed.

-"Who said… I am a beginner?" – Scar responded to their compliments looking at them both flirtatiously. -"Have you ever heard... of the Lion Guard?"

-"No. What's that?" - the lionesses inquired curiously.

-"Oh, I'll tell you later..."

Scar's tiredness was beginning to get the best of him, and he was forced to lie down. The females quickly stretched themselves out at his feet, and began aiding him by licking some of the blood off his fur.

Observing that with a distasteful frown, Mufasa walked over to his own lonely little corner. But before he even got there, he heard the irritating voice of Burns the tiger.

-"Wow, you guys were awesome!" – the feline said, excited. – "I mean, I rooted for you from the beginning. But I didn't imagine you would actually waste both of the charioteers, _and_ their horses! When Scar went after them… Oh man, that was just so…"

-"There is no glory in such primitive and nonsensical bloodshed!" – Mufasa cut him off, unable to stand this babble anymore. The whole situation was like a total contradiction of everything he had ever been taught, and he didn't hesitate to express his discontent.

-" _Huh?_ " – the disoriented Burns dropped his broad grin and made a derpy face, not quite understanding what the lion meant.

-"Very interesting point of view, coming from a predator…" – Ursus was also surprised, yet became even more interested seeing Mufasa's attitude.

All of the animals now fixed their eyes at the angry monarch sitting on his throne of hay. The situation was as odd as a warthog suddenly showing up to a hyena's birthday.

-"Heh-heh, you always were a bore, Mufasa," – Scar threw his brother another one of his malicious remarks. – "Don't worry about him, Shaheed. He doesn't know how to appreciate the thrill of being out in the arena, unlike we do."

-"Shut up!" – the older lion expressed his frustration. – "You know we didn't have to kill those horses! Or even the human, for that matter! They'd let us go even if we just beat them up hard enough so that they wouldn't be able to fight anymore!"

-"Oh, but it's way more fun this way!" – Scar retorted, relaxing in the lionesses' embrace. - "And besides, you yourself said multiple times that you wished you can retaliate on those humans for having stolen you away from your precious kingdom, your beautiful mate, and your little hairball son…"

-"Is this your idea of _fun?!_ " - Mufasa snapped back at him, his royal countenance twisted in anger. – "Don't you see, you fool?! You're not just exacting revenge on the humans! You're killing for sport, blindly and viciously, only to feel the taste of blood and the pride of having taken another life!"

Zidi and Jo looked at him as if he came from another world.

-"Uh… That's the idea, you moron!" – the younger feline jeered.

Mufasa bared his fangs at her in a flash. Seeing that, Burns decided to join in.

-"Haven't you heard the crowds? They love you! If you keep doing what you were doing, you might just survive! It's not as if the humans are gonna let their prized fighters get killed off, they're not idiots. Well, they are, but… you get the idea, right?"

Paying no heed to the tiger's advice, Mufasa turned back to his brother.

-"Don't you understand? I thought you were smarter than that. You're doing exactly what the humans want us to do! You're just becoming more and more like their slave!"

-"Hey, what are you implying?" – Ursus inquired, touching the collar around his neck which he had gotten used to years ago.

Scar laughed maliciously. Mocking Mufasa just as he always had, he stood up, leaving his two fangirls on the floor. Next, he walked over to his brother's corner, bearing that nasty grin which was very high on the list of things he hated.

-"What's the matter, Muffy?" – he spoke in a silky, sarcastic tone which caused the other lion's blood to boil. – "Why are you really so bitter? Is it because you pity those poor horses, or perhaps because you are simply jealous? After all, I scored four kills during our little game, and you scored none. Does that sting your pride, _your majesty?_ Oh, but I'm just your younger, inferior brother! All skin and bones. Surely, I wouldn't fare well in a deathmatch… It always had to be you, you, you. And today, lo and behold- a surprise!"

Mufasa, though furious, managed to keep himself still in the face of his brother's ridiculous insinuations.

-"Must I remind you that, at the start of the battle, it was _you_ who held your tail between your legs, _not_ _me?_ " – he responded with an offensive snarl.

-"Maybe I was just trying to protect it from being run over by the wheels of the chariot? Did you ever consider that?"

At this point, Mufasa was almost through with bearing the sight of the smug expression on his brother's bloody face.

-"You make me _sick!_ " – he growled, almost lunging at Scar.

But before he reached him, Zidi jumped in between the brothers, breaking them up.

-"Jeez, calm down would ya!" – the lioness laughed. Then, she encouraged Scar to follow her to the other corner, away from his furious sibling. – "C'mon, leave this self-righteous dweeb to his melancholic delusions. I've been here way longer than both of you, and I can assure you that you are right, Scar. The more blood you spill, the less the humans draw of your own."

-"I like you, you know," – the dark lion purred, following her and completely forgetting about his brother. – "You remind me of a certain female I knew back home. Her name was Zira. That edgy little vixen, I wonder how she's doing right now…"

The humiliated Mufasa was thus forced to stay silent. Truth be told, he wasn't really used to such opposition. The walls of his cell suddenly felt claustrophobically tight, and terribly unpleasant. Looking around, he sought at least a small sign of acceptation, and found it in Ursus, who continued to look at him with an understanding smile.

-"Clawsnfangs, I can't say that I have ever seen such a strong demand for justice in another animal, especially here," – the bear assessed. – "Although I don't agree with you completely, I understand your point. The ones we fight in the arena, apart from the humans, are indeed in a very similar situation to ours. It is kind of sad that we have to kill them in order to survive… But maybe this will cheer you up. Think that those two gladiators, Sulo and Haca, have been here at least since last spring. During that time, they've killed a whole bunch of animals, including lions. So you see that you have no reason to feel sorry for them, cause…"

-" _I do not feel sorry for the humans!_ " – Mufasa interrupted, angry for having been accused of such weakness.

Following a moment of awkward silence, Ursus and Burns shared a confused look.

-"I have no idea what this guy's problem is," – the tiger stated.

In response, the bear simply shrugged, ending the conversation.

Hanging his head in resignation, furious with himself and everyone else, Mufasa slipped to the floor, deciding to finally rest after the fight. But before he closed his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Pardus sitting in the adjacent cell.

Once again, the panther was looking straight at him with those drilling eyes of his. Only this time, the black creature was smiling ever so slightly.

Mufasa was almost ready to run over there and once and for all order the annoying mute to stop watching him like a chunk of meat. But before he did that, he heard the door opening, and immediately jumped to his feet, alarmed.

In stumbled a bunch of slaves holding buckets in their hands, laughing and discussing something vigorously.

The already irritated lion wished to welcome them with a kingly display of wrath, but as soon as he stood by the bars…

… the humans doused him with water from their buckets.

-"What the hell…?! _RRRAH!_ " – he roared, throwing himself at the bars, trying to reach the pathetic slaves and retaliate for insulting him like that.

But the humans just continued to laugh, and instead of paying attention to his rant, poured the rest of the water on Scar, who came forward far more willingly.

-" _Ahhh!_ " – the younger lion moaned, refreshed. Then he shook the rest of the water off his long black mane. – "Relax, Muffy! Don't you get it? They only came here to give us a bath! Those clever primates don't want their best fighters to be dirty. Well, at least one of us qualifies for that title, taking how you barely got two drops of blood on your magnificent coat out in the arena…"

Everyone laughed out loud, and Mufasa was forced to stand there like a wet cat, dripping with water and breathing out fury. For a brief moment, he thought that perhaps killing everyone in sight was not such a bad idea after all.

Thankfully, the animals quickly found another point of interest, as the humans apart from their buckets also brought them their dinner.

Mufasa approached and looked at the meat, sniffing suspiciously.

-"Is that… manflesh?" – he asked, disoriented.

-"Haha! No you idiot," – Jo jeered at his lack of knowledge. – "We sometimes get to eat what we kill, but the humans have this strange custom of burying their dead in the sand. This here is horseflesh."

-"Hmph. I hope that this _eating what you kill_ doesn't happen when you defeat a member of your own species…" – Mufasa remarked bitterly.

He wanted to begin his meal, but before he did that, Scar snatched the meat from in front of his nose. Carrying it to his corner nonchalantly, he lied down with the females again.

-" _What?_ " – the older lion could hardly believe his eyes. – "What are you doing?"

-"What am _I_ doing?" – Scar made an innocent remark, his mouth full of horse. – "You don't deserve this meat! You heard what our young cell mates said- you eat what you kill. And you haven't killed anything today!"

-"I am your _king!_ " – Mufasa roared in unbridled rage, just as he would have done if Scar ever dared to try to cut the line and eat earlier than him after a hunt in the Pridelands.

But since they weren't in the Pirdelands, Scar simply smirked cheekily, and said:

-"No you're not."

Of course. If his brother had already denied his royal authority once, why would he change his mind now… Running out of arguments fast, Mufasa decided to remind him of another rule from back home.

-"I am older than you! The older one always gets to eat first!"

For a second, genuinely putting his patience to the test, his brother continued to chew, undeterred. Then he responded as if he had not been paying attention at all.

-"You know, I really wish the humans would serve us the flesh of their fallen comrades. This horse meat doesn't seem half as savory… Sorry, what were you saying?"

-" _I said- I'm older than you!_ " – Mufasa squeezed the words through his clenched teeth, feeling his stomach rumbling after the strain of today's battle.

-"Ah yes!" – Scar chuckled, looking toward the two lionesses at his side. – "That is actually true. My brother is precisely _two hours_ older than me. We're of the same litter, but being the first one to see the light, according to the rules of my old pride, made him not only the heir of our kingdom, but also the first one to partake of all the meat, whether he actually participated in the hunts or not. Would you believe that there are places in the world where such madness is actually practiced?"

Then, continuing to ignore his brother, he passed the meat on to the females.

Now that was quite enough for Mufasa. Losing his nerve completely, he roared again, this time threatening to attack. Scar, Zidi, and Jo all sprung to their feet.

-"Hey, easy there!" – Ursus tried to stop them. Burns also arose, curiously looking at what would happen.

There was just one problem for Mufasa, however. He was not facing only his younger, weaker brother this time. It appeared that, by picking a fight with him, he also picked a fight with his two female allies. Back in the Pridelands, it would be unimaginable. But right now it appeared that, somehow, it was Scar who was slowly becoming the alpha male in their cell.

Hesitating for a moment, Mufasa did not think whether or not he'd be able to defeat all three enemies. He was pretty sure that he would, having dealt with rogues and insubordinate packs of animals during his reign. This time, he only assessed whether or not it was worth the hassle.

He was tired. He needed his rest. And, most importantly, he didn't even care anymore.

Snorting disdainfully, he turned his back at Scar's bunch, and went back over to his own corner. But before he lied down, he caught a glimpse of his brother, and by the smirk on his face, knew perfectly that he must have interpreted this as a triumph more significant than even that in the arena.

-"Are you upset?" – the dark lion continued to mock him. –"Does the great king Mufasa feel insecure now that the precious balance on which he'd based his whole life has been shattered? Hah! You should have known what I learned from the very beginning. Life's not fair. Some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark, begging for scraps. But I never liked begging. If you want justice, you have to make it yourself, no matter the cost!"

At this point, Mufasa covered his ears with his paws, wishing that Scar would just shut up. But in order for that to happen, he needed to keep himself from being provoked. One thing he knew about his brother was that arguing would only fuel his malice.

 _Loathsome weakling_ – he said in his heart, wishing to see if Scar's cockiness would last if he ever stood before him in the arena alone.

Ultimately, his brother and his two broads ate their dinner, and went to sleep. Mufasa greatly enjoyed the silence that followed.

Shortly afterward, Pardus the panther had his fight for the day. The humans dragged him out for a big free-for-all deathmatch, which involved almost a dozen humans. Ursus was trying to explain to the lion all the different types of gladiators who participated in the skirmish, but Mufasa had trouble remembering them.

The crowd found this fight disappointing as, according to the bear, the gladiators were rather unskilled. Only one of them ended up dying, and since he did that in a very dishonorable way, with lots of screaming and cursing, he was punished even after his death. When the fighter finally stopped twitching, a human dressed like some god of the underworld appeared, wielding a hammer, and smashed the poor man's skull to make sure he wasn't just pretending to be dead.

During the whole skirmish, Pardus was kept on a long chain at the edge of the arena to attack any human who took a step too far. The problem was that none of them did, and the spectators were furious that the beasts basically remained unemployed. Still, the panther himself didn't seem to mind. Or at least it looked that way, as he returned to the cell without uttering a single word, as usual.

After that was over, the gladiator duels began, and the animals in the pens breathed with relief knowing that they would most likely be left in peace for the rest of the day. That especially applied to Zidi and Jo, who weren't brought out to fight at all, which gave them freedom to lounge at Scar's side.

 _We survived_ – Mufasa addressed his ancestors in silent prayer. – _But for how long? Oh, give me time…_

Passionless and almost bored, the lion glared through the window of his cell at the duel, which was to excite the crowd again after the lackluster deathmatch. Surprisingly, it was a fight of two women- _gladiatrices_ , one of whom was a well-known Gaulish lightweight fighter, and the other- a newcomer from Lydia, strong and ambitious.

The women began their fight, which reminded Mufasa of a quarrel of two lionesses in heat. Instead of watching them, he directed his eyes toward the sky, and the birds which glided there in possession of a freedom which was stolen from him so abruptly.

His meditations were disturbed yet again when Grassus the Beastmaster, seemingly having finished his work for the day, came down again to admire his animals. He acted as if they all did exceptionally well, smiling and speaking in joyous tones as he conversed with some other toga-wearing Roman noble.

Mufasa himself ignored the man, but his sight made Scar stand up from the ground and walk to and fro before the bars so that he could shower in the humans' admiration. His brother looked upon that display of vanity with disgust.

-"I remember that, not too long ago, you wanted to avenge yourself on this wicked creature. And now you're parading in front of him like you're trying to court him!" – he hissed at Scar, but all he got as a response was another cocky smirk.

Grassus finally departed, and after a few more gladiator duels, which Mufasa was sick of at this point, all the animals began to settle for the night. As the sun began to set, no one seemed to be in the mood for conversation anymore. Even the hardened warrior beasts had to admit that the uncertainty of whether they'd live to see another day provided enough strain to tire anyone out.

The lion fell asleep on his small pile of dry straw very quickly. For some reason, he dreamed of participating in one of Zazu's morning reports. Eager to see his mate and son, he twisted and turned, yet faithfulness to royal protocol prevented him from dismissing his majordomo before he was through with his lengthy announcements.

Once the hornbill was done, Mufasa bid him farewell, and ran back toward Pride Rock. He wasn't lucky enough to actually get there, however.

The annoying sound of the creaking old door snatched him away from the land of sleep. His head jolting up instinctively, he narrowed his eyes, attempting to see something in the dim flickering light of the torches.

A skinny young woman with a collar around her neck stood at the entrance, hesitating. When she saw where she was, and heard the sound of the growling animal whom she had just awoken, she gasped and wanted to get out of there. However, another slave, a man, stood in her way.

-"I, Claudia. Noli timere!" – he encouraged the girl with a delicate smile, showing that she had nothing to fear. *

-"Bestiae hic sunt…" – the female slave whimpered, pointing toward the angry Mufasa in the cage. *

Her companion surrounded her with an arm, and led her inside as she clung to him in fear. Standing before the bars, he showed her that they were completely out of the beasts' reach.

Mufasa was greatly annoyed with their presence, wishing he could go back to sleep. In order to show them that they were not welcome, he stood up and went as close to them as possible, fixing his blood-shot eyes at the couple and filling the chamber with the sound of his angry snarl.

At first, the woman was stiff as a plank, but with the man by her side, she finally relaxed, seeing that none of the animals could indeed harm her, no matter how loudly they protested their presence.

In the meantime, irritated by Mufasa's growling, the rest of the inhabitants of the pens also woke up.

Ursus rolled over to the other side, belched, and in a dreary voice declared-

-"Oh… I see we have guests. And at such a late hour… Interesting."

All the others looked toward the humans curiously. Scar, grumbling as he lay in between his two lionesses, addressed his brother with a bitter rebuke.

-"What's all this fuss about?"

-"How should I know?" – Mufasa snapped back at him, continuing to bare his fangs.

He was now joined by Burns and Pardus, who also seemed rather displeased with the strange couple's presence.

Not minding them at all, however, the male slave encouraged his companion to proceed. The woman slowly followed, and they walked down the corridor in between the cells, flanked by angry beasts. Finally, they reached a wooden crate which stood against the wall under one of the flaming torches.

The man smiled, picked his companion up, and sat her down on top of the chest. The woman seemed confused, and greatly uncomfortable.

-"Marce, quare me hinc adduxisti?" – she asked, biting her lip. – "Mihi vovisti hic cibum esse. Festinamus, te rogo. Esurio nimis…" *

The other slave, much more confident, touched her exposed arm delicately, and whispered:

-"Cum ego tecum sum, nihil plus eges!" *

Now not only Mufasa, but also the others started to look at this odd couple curiously. Their behavior, and especially that of the male slave Marcus, became extremely unusual.

In spite of the woman's opposition, he began to kiss and embrace her, attempting to shove his hand underneath Claudia's shabby tunic.

-"What's he doing?" – inquired the stupefied older lion.

-" _Hmph._ Isn't it obvious?" – Scar snorted, exhibiting an evil smile.

-"I thought you said you had cubs of your own," – Zidi continued. – "I guess you should be familiar with the process, then."

As the woman squealed and twisted, attempting to resist her partner's kisses, Mufasa gazed at the others, his face expressing total shock.

-"A-are you… serious?! And they came all the way down here for that purpose? I didn't realize it was the human's mating season…"

-" _Hahaha!_ " – hearing his words, Jo burst out in laughter. – "The humans don't have a _mating season,_ you idiot! They mate with one another whenever and wherever they want! Or, at least one of them, heh-heh... Just like killing, there's no sense or reason in it. They just do it for fun!"

Mufasa had thought that the humans could not possibly disgust him even more. But tonight, he found out that he was wrong.

Once again he turned his eyes toward the couple. At this point, the persistent Marcus was trying to unfasten his pants with one hand, while holding Claudia down with the other. The woman was at the point of screaming, kicking and flailing her arms around desperately as tears flowed down her cheeks.

-"Abi, abi!" – cried the female slave, her words echoing from the stone walls, weaker by the minute. – "Solve me!" *

-"Tace! Obmutesce!" – Marcus said to her, violently attempting to cover up her mouth. *

Mufasa looked back at everyone else. The animals observed passively, with the other three lions looking like they actually enjoyed this gruesome spectacle. He therefore decided to take matters into his own paws.

-" _RRRAAAWWW!_ " – the mighty feline roared, almost making the foundations of the amphitheater shake as his powerful voice reverberated within the pens.

Unfortunately, that seemed to have an effect opposite to the intended one. Barely turning his head back, the wicked slave laughed, and it was at that point that Mufasa realized that the presence and sound of the animals only stirred up the human's beastly tendencies.

He had to come up with a different plan, and fast.

-"Adiutorium! Violator!" – Claudia sobbed faintly, barely able to resist. *

But then, something happened. Marcus, blinded with lust, suddenly tripped. Mufasa had reached out through the bars toward the careless human, and was able to scratch his ankle. Trying not to fall over, cursing, the would-be rapist leaned against the wall. Coincidentally, however, by doing that, he burned his hand with the fire of the nearby torch.

-" _Aaaa!_ " – another scream echoed throughout the chamber.

Using the opportunity, the woman kicked him in the groin with all the strength she had left. Marcus' sight became blurry, and he folded in half like a broken stick. Immediately, Claudia bolted out of the room, vanishing from everyone's sight before the other slave could grab hold of her.

-" _Reveni, lupaaa!_ " – the man cried out in pain and wrath, rushing into pursuit. *

For a few moments, everyone stood in silence, with Mufasa throwing around a glare of rebuke. Finally, Burns was the first one to speak.

-"Well, I guess now we can just go back to sleep…" – the tiger shrugged, stretching himself out on the ground.

-"You're such a killjoy, brother!" – Scar delivered his own two cents, crossing his legs and surrounding the two females at his side with his paws.

The older lion did not honor him with a response.

He was almost about to call it a night himself, when he still caught the sound of Ursus talking to himself before dozing off.

-"Hmm, that girl was hungry. She only came down here because the guy promised to give her food. Have they stopped feeding the slaves again? I hope this doesn't mean that there's another famine going around… If that's the reason why they organized these games, we might all be in big trouble."

Though the bear didn't seem terribly concerned, Mufasa raised a brow after hearing those words. But that was for a different reason.

"You… understood what they were saying?" – the lion inquired, totally dumbstruck.

There was no other explanation. How else would the bear have even known what the couple of nocturnal visitors' intentions were?

Ursus, however, did not answer his question. Smiling mysteriously, he rolled over to the other side, covering himself in a blanket of his own blubber.

The annoying uncertainty continued to bug Mufasa for a while, until he too drifted away into the land of, this time dreamless, sleep.

* * *

 **AN: First of all, in real life, lionesses tend to like the males who have darker fur more. And Scar's fur is** _ **really**_ **dark. Not like in that damn CGI remake.**

 **Second, I have this theory that the brothers come from the same litter. The difference of age would have been more significant if it were otherwise, as lionesses normally only breed once every two years. Unless, of course, Scar isn't queen Uru's son… But in this storyline, Ahadi was monogamous, and the fact that Scar was born so soon after Mufasa causes him even more grief for having been banned from becoming heir.**

 **So Mufasa's world is kind of coming undone at this point. He's far away from the Pridelands, after all. But will he be able to adapt, or will he suffer the fate of the conquered?**

* * *

 *** The Latin dialogue between the slaves Claudia and Marcus can be translated thus:**

 **M- Go ahead, Claudia. Don't be scared!**

 **C- But there are beasts here…**

 **XXX**

 **C- Marcus, why have you brought me here? You promised that there would be food here. Please, let's hurry up. I'm so hungry…**

 **M- You don't need anything else while I'm here with you!**

 **C- Get away! Get away! Let me go!**

 **M- Shut up! Be quiet!**

 **C- Help! Rapist!**

 **M- Come back, you whore!**


	14. Nulla Cura

**AN: Yo! Hope y'all had a happy Easter! This story has just reached 5k hits, whereas From Behind Bars has recently exceeded 80k! Thanks so much, you guys are amazing!**

 **Anyway, having watched the reboot trailer a few more times, I noticed one detail about the new Scar which I actually liked. Namely, I believe he still walks around with his claws out all the time. Will this design grow on me eventually? Even though the CGI is obviously fantastic, I doubt it. This version of Scar may not look as bad as the furry blue monstrosity from the Sonic Movie, but he still reminds me of one of the cats from Pet Sematary… Then again, we won't know for sure until we actually see this movie, amirite?**

 **For now, let's continue. Here's another chap from Scar's perspective. The** _ **real**_ **Scar, that is ;)**

* * *

 **CAPUT XIV – NULLA CURA** (No Worries)

 _(Scar)_

 _Mus musculus_ , a wee little critter, prowled about the stone pavement, sniffing and looking for crumbs, seeds, or perhaps some leftover carrion. The mouse searched the floor religiously in pursuit of its morning meal, assured that the beast pens underneath the amphitheater would be an excellent place to find it.

But the mouse was careless, and its dream ended when one of the inhabitants of the cell, a huge lion with a black mane, caught it by the tail with his massive clawed paw. Lifting the squealing animal before his face, the feline gazed on it with his emerald eyes, smiling.

-"Hello there, sunshine," – said he, his voice silky smooth.

The lion then stretched out his arm, putting the terrified critter in between the teeth of a young lioness which rested her head on his shoulder. The female shut her mouth with a loud snap, and moaned with joy. When Scar took his paw back, all that was left of the mouse was the tail, which he tossed to the floor nonchalantly.

Then, the head of another lioness, the latter's mother, popped out from the other side, bearing a disgruntled look.

-"And what about me?" – Zidi addressed the male with a note of faux reproof. – "Don't _I_ get a treat?"

Turning, Scar looked at her, startled.

 _I only had one mouse to distribute, you silly old mud pie_ – he thought in his heart.

But that wasn't what he actually said, of course. Smiling sweetly, he looked the Persian lioness in the eyes, and then whispered:

-"By the way, you look unbelievably beautiful today. You're practically… glowing."

Having been disarmed by the charming lion's sudden flattery, Zidi turned her head shyly, giggling like a lass.

-"Or maybe it's the lighting," – he then concluded, turning around and ending the conversation abruptly.

As far as Scar was able assess, all was going fairly well, taking his present predicament. He was alive. His belly was full. He had secured a steady position both in the pens, and out in the arena. The small cuts on his face and shoulder were healing nicely.

He hardly even missed the Pridelands anymore. Sure, he'd love to be king there. But if that was impossible, then the smart thing to do, the way he saw it, was to become the king of the Carthaginian Amphitheater.

Putting his paws underneath his head and stretching, the once second-best feline from Pride Rock breathed with delight, thinking what the day would bring. Of course, it wasn't like he was not concerned about that. It was just that this morning, he decided to begin his day with a big cup of blissful denial.

All around him, the other animals were starting to wake up as well, yawning widely and grooming their fur. Taking a glimpse to the side, Scar noticed his brother picking out blades of hay from his mane. When their eyes met, Mufasa promptly looked away, offended.

-"Jambo, ndugu!" – the younger lion tossed him a morning greeting with staged courtesy. – "Hakuna matata!"

-"Kula samadi…" – the older one mouthed back, grinding his fangs, indicating that he wasn't really up for chit-chat.

Shortly afterward, a bunch of peaky-looking human slaves entered the pens and began busying themselves with cleaning the floors, changing the water, and the like.

-"Hey, how about some breakfast, you lazy bags of rotten flesh?" – Scar welcomed them.

However, as uncivil as the slaves were, they gave him neither a response, nor any breakfast.

-"I guess you're just going to have to hunt for more mice," – Jo said to him as she licked her paw.

A bit disappointed, Scar was about to start taking care of his own fur (perhaps with a little help from the lionesses), but then he noticed something peculiar. It seemed that some of the other animals were on friendly terms with the slaves. The humans, who looked too skinny to be guards or handlers, even attempted to reach out into the cages and pet some of them. And even though Burns stayed away and would not approach, Pardus didn't appear to have any problem with one of the men stroking the black fur on top of his head. As for Ursus, the bear even voluntarily placed his back against the bars so that the slaves could scratch him, laughing as they did.

At first it seemed very odd to him, as he knew perfectly that all of his fellow prisoners had no qualms against slaughtering humans in the arena. But perhaps the situation was different with these harmless, malnourished men, who were themselves the property of those more powerful? Perhaps the whole difference between laughter and slaughter was really slim, and only depended on circumstances?

The mood became so laid back that when Mufasa approached the bars, one of the slaves came up in hope of perhaps being able to make friends with this new arrival, as well. But as soon as he stretched out his hand in an attempt to jerk the lion's big fuzzy mane, Mufasa issued a vicious snarl, immediately sending the man far away from the bars and back to his work.

That made Scar smirk, but he didn't comment.

The older brother then turned toward the bear in the opposite cell.

-"Ursus," – he said commandingly.

Startled and looking as if Mufasa had interrupted him in doing something extremely important, the huge animal turned toward him, confused, before almost immediately smiling as if nothing had happened.

-"What are you doing?" – the lion kept his inquisitive attitude, gazing at the other animal intently.

As Scar found his brother's behavior peculiar, he opened one eye, and continued to monitor the situation in secret.

Ursus still looked greatly confused, and even Scar had trouble understanding what Mufasa's issue was.

-"What do you mean, clawsnfangs?" – the bear responded, smiling innocently. – "I'm just sitting here. Minding my own business, enjoying being alive on this beautiful day, just like all of us…"

-"You're lying," – Mufasa cut him off. – "I saw what you did."

His accusatory voice made Ursus swallow loudly, and scratch the back of his head in order to distract himself from the lion's piercing stare. This caused Scar to look at the scene with even more curiosity.

 _What are you up to?_ – he thought. _– Is it possible that you managed to notice something I missed?_

Since the bear continued to hold his tongue, Mufasa decided to keep asking. And the more he asked, the more the attention of all within the cell was focused on him, and especially on Ursus.

-"You're listening to what the slaves are talking about, aren't you?" – the lion inquired with dead seriousness. – "I've been watching you. You react differently depending on the emotions the humans display, and on the tone of their voices. But there's something more, isn't there?"

-"You're paranoid!" – the young Jo scoffed at his ridiculous and surely unrealistic suspicion.

-"Shut up!" – Mufasa silenced her with a growl, immediately turning back to Ursus.

The lioness and her mother bared their fangs at him, but then Scar calmed their injured egos.

-" _Shh_ , give it all a rest, ladies," – he hushed them. – "Allow the bear to respond to my brother's most intriguing assumption."

Seeing that the eyes of everyone were now fixed at him, Ursus snorted, turning his head. Then, smiling, he responded to Mufasa's accusation.

-"I gotta admit, you've got the perception of a true hunter, clawsnfangs," – he said, sitting down on his butt and pointing toward the slaves who were finishing their work. – "Yeah, I do understand them."

-"What?!" – Burns exclaimed in astonishment, his mouth agape. – "But… that's impossible!"

-"How else would he know the humans' names?" – Mufasa said to him. – "Or be able to quote their scholars?"

-"I… I don't know, I never thought of that," – answered the tiger, still gazing at the grinning Ursus with shock.

This revelation was so dazzling that it even made Scar stand up from the floor. Approaching his brother, he spoke to him in fake admiration.

-"I'm impressed, Mufasa! Even I weren't able to detect our gifted jail mate's special ability!"

The older lion did not pay attention to his false praise, but that was to be predicted. Instead, he continued to interrogate Ursus, his voice full of determination.

-"How did you learn the human tongue?" – Mufasa inquired like a judge leading a trial.

The exposed bear smiled yet again.

-"Alright, gimme a second here," – he raised his paw in a defensive gesture. – "As you can probably imagine, this is not an easy thing to explain. Gather round and sit your furry butts down, clawsnfangs. Uncle Ursus' got a story to tell ya."

Thus, the animals began to listen to the bear's confession. It turned out that, due to the 'make no friends' policy, even the oldest inhabitants of the pens never actually bothered to ask about what his life was like before he ended up in Carthage. And what they were about to hear surprised them greatly, yet explained to them a lot about where Ursus obtained all of his knowledge.

-"When I was a cub," – Ursus began his tale, "my parents and I lived in one of the forests of southern Germania, by the river Rhine. The Romans have been trying to colonize those lands and enslave the humans living there for centuries. Most of the locals submitted to their rule, and became like their conquerors. We usually stayed away from those, because they would hunt us and capture us for some unknown purpose which I only discovered later. But not all humans were like that. Some escaped the influence of the Roman invaders, hid deep in the forests, and lived among the animals. Those were the Celts- Germania's original inhabitants. They were a people who always had great respect for nature. With time, they developed a special link with the world around them. Their wise men, the druids, gave us food and treated us like some divine creatures. I met one of them once, in the middle of the forest, where no human ever went for fear of being eaten by those who lived there. When he glared me straight in the eyes and spoke to me, I was completely paralyzed… I still can't describe what exactly I felt. Then, we started meeting regularly, getting to know one another until we were able to share our every word and thought. That druid... I don't know where he got it from, but he taught me everything he knew."

After Ursus finished speaking, as the slaves had already departed by that time, the silence within the cell was so deep that all the animals could hear was the buzzing of the flies. It was only Scar who finally broke it.

-"And then you got caught, and ended up in this little puddle of mud. Correct?"

-"Correct, clawsnfangs," – responded the bear, a bit more nostalgic than usual after reminding himself of his past.

-"Are there any humans here who can understand animal speech?" – Mufasa continued his interrogation.

-"Not that I'm aware of," – Ursus shrugged. – "I don't think they have druids in Africa."

-" _Hmm_ ," – mumbled Scar, rubbing his chin. – "Fascinating. Almost unbelievable! I think this is a valuable discovery, and that it can be used to our great benefit!"

-"For once, I agree," – confirmed his brother, addressing Ursus next. – "So you said that, from what you've heard from the humans, you're concerned that the city might be suffering from famine? How does that affect us?"

A slight smirk appeared on the bear's face, but Scar had a feeling that it was one bereft of all joyfulness. A mysterious mist covered his narrowed, deep-brown eyes.

-"Believe me, clawsnfangs. If there's really a famine, it's going to affect everyone, human and animal alike. And by _affect_ , I mean that all of us will suffer."

 _Bloody hell! That doesn't sound too promising_ , Scar said to himself internally, angry with Ursus for having spoiled the positive mood he was forcing upon himself.

He didn't have too much time for deliberations, however. Suddenly, a sound was heard within the cells which startled the animals even more than Ursus' confession of being able to understand human speech.

A throaty rumble reverberated among the stone walls, which made everyone turn toward Pardus.

The black panther was growling menacingly, as if in the form of a warning, having his blazing green eyes fixed at Burns.

-"What's wrong, Pardus?" – the tiger asked, surprised that the other feline finally decided to make a sound. The mysterious panther's creepy look made him prick his ears up nervously. – "Uh oh. I think someone's coming…"

All of a sudden, the door opened, sending all the beasts on their feet. In barged Grassus, leading with him a bunch of armed handlers. The man was visibly agitated, large beads of sweat clearly visible on his forehead.

-"Ursum, leaenas, tigrem et pardum emittite. Omnibus minus mares. Festinate, stulti!" – he yelled, indicating what he wanted his slaves to do with rapid hand gestures. *

Ursus, who was the only one who understood him, gasped.

-"Oh no! They're skipping the horse races today?! That's not a good sign…"

-"Shit!" – cussed Zidi as one of the handlers hooked her by the collar with his long pole. – "If they're sending us out this early, it must mean that something is wrong."

-"Just keep your guard up and your teeth sharp," – her daughter added, more excited than concerned.

As Scar and Mufasa stood there, unsure of what to do, the humans led all of their fellow jail mates out into the arena. Willingly or not, the younger brother looked at the older one, his expression showing to him the uncertainty of what would happen which suddenly filled his heart.

* * *

 **AN: So we learned that Ursus does indeed understand human speech, and that Pardus (unlike Bran Stark) can do more than just stare. So… what now?**

* * *

 *** - Grassus (lat.) – Bring out the bear, the lionesses, the tiger and the leopard. Everyone except for the lions. Hurry up, you idiots!**


	15. Tumultus

**CAPUT XV – TUMULTUS** (Riot)

 _(Mufasa)_

The confused and seriously concerned lion looked toward his younger brother, realizing that Scar was just as startled as him. And he also recognized another thing- that his sibling's immediate intentions also mirrored his own.

Without wasting a moment, Mufasa sprang from the floor and ran over to the window of their cell which looked out at the arena. Although Scar was right at his heels, the older lion got there first, poking his head through the bars as his brother unsuccessfully attempted to push him to the side.

What he saw was their cell mates, Ursus, Zidi, Jo, Burns and Pardus, standing around in consternation, having been released by the humans in order to face some unknown foe. The morning sun was in Mufasa's face, and he couldn't see as well as he would like to. He therefore decided to call upon the one of the beasts who was standing closest to him.

-"Ursus! Hey, Ursus!" – the lion yelled, trying to outshout the crowd and catch the bear's attention.

When the sound of his voice finally managed to reach Ursus' ears, the animal turned around and bent down to face him.

-"What's going on over there?" – Mufasa asked, trying to pacify the curious Scar who was still trying to steal his spot at the same time.

Ursus, not looking very pleased, pointed toward the spectators and yelled back-

-"The humans. They don't seem to be in a very good mood today."

As the lion turned his eyes in that direction, he finally noticed the unrest amongst the gathered mob. The people seemed to be screaming even louder than usual. Atop his podium, Grassus waved his fat arms at them, trying to calm everyone down.

Suddenly, Mufasa groaned, feeling a jab to the ribs.

-"Move over! Quit hogging our only window like you own the damn place!" – Scar growled at him.

The older lion decided to make some room for him, but only out of annoyance.

-"What's all this commotion about?" – his brother inquired once permitted to see the arena.

-"It looks like they're fighting with each other," – Mufasa answered, having the humans in mind.

-"Oh really?" – Scar's response was one of both amazement and joy. – "Delightful! Perhaps, for once, it's _them_ who will provide us with some entertainment!"

Unsure if any of this was actually entertaining, the other lion observed what would happen. The animals, who usually were in the center of attention once out in the arena, now waited idly as the humans busied themselves with their rioting. Nervously they glared toward the opposite side of the amphitheater, awaiting for their unknown opponents to finally show up.

-"Whatever comes out of these gates," – Burns instructed his companions, - "we've got a better chance of survival if we stay together".

That seemed like a reasonable thing to do. However, as soon as the tiger said that, Mufasa saw that Ursus turned his head in strong disapproval.

-"No, no! Screw that! Just look at them! The humans are restless, they need a distraction. Quick, start fighting! Who knows what they might do if they become too bored!"

Clearly, Ursus was the one who had the most experience among them, and the lionesses also quickly agreed to his proposal. Issuing a vicious roar which made at least some of the spectators look toward the arena again, Zidi and Jo began circling around the bear, who stood up on his hind legs, assuming an impressive militant stance.

Shrugging, Burns turned to Pardus, beckoning him to follow their example. Without hesitation, the panther attacked, and the two began to spar.

Noticing the big brawl below, an even greater percentage of the crowd finally decided to sit and focus on the spectacle. Mufasa wondered what they had been fighting over, anyway.

Happy that his plan was working, Grassus encouraged the rest of the people to settle down as well, and informed them that the show would continue shortly.

Handlers appeared out of nowhere, forcing the beasts to separate with spear and whip. Mufasa and Scar's jail mates were now about to face their real challenge.

Grassus raised his arms, and the crowd erupted with a moderately enthusiastic cheer. The sound of clinging chains was heard, and the gates were raised. The bear, the tiger, the leopard, and the two lionesses now stood side by side, facing the same direction, their muscles flexed and their ears pricked up, ready for battle.

-"What's over there?" – Scar asked, pushing at Mufasa again as he tried to get a better view.

Irritated, his brother shoved him aside.

-"Stop acting like a cub! It's impossible to see the other side of the arena from here, anyway! We're just going to have to wait and find out."

Seeing that this was indeed true, the disgruntled younger lion submitted, peeking through the window from behind his brother's back. Mufasa now observed as Ursus moved ahead of the group of beasts, his sight focused on something in the distance. The morning breeze blew around gusts of sand, and the humans called for blood.

 _It would be a shame to lose the bear now that we found out he can understand the humans, - t_ he lion thought to himself. – _It would be a shame to lose anyone…_

He wanted to help them, in spite of everything, even though he was completely unable to.

Mufasa felt his adrenaline rise, and so did all of the other spectators. Something was coming Ursus' way, and although the bear stood unmoved, it was obvious that he too felt great concern for what would happen next.

Standing face to face with his opponent, he spoke to him using words Mufasa failed to understand.

-"Canis lupus?" – asked the bear, as if calling the creature's name. Then, after waiting for a moment, he pointed at himself.

-"Ursus arctos!" – he announced, lifting up a paw in order to see if the other beast would respond with hostility. But after getting no answer, he lowered it and bared his fangs. The others on his team did the same.

Their enemy then advanced, and Mufasa was able to catch a first glimpse of him.

-"Is that… some kind of a dog?" – the lion asked, surprised by the rather nonthreatening appearance of the single small canine.

-"That is a wolf," – his brother corrected him dryly. – "And I'm fairly sure there's many more than just one."

It turned out he was right. Unfortunately.

The first wolf was merely the alpha male. Behind him, snarling viciously, walked the rest of the pack. Mufasa counted at least a dozen, and then lost count. The animals were larger than lycaons and even hyenas, bulky and well-kept, yet clearly starving. They must have not been fed in days, or otherwise they probably wouldn't have dared to attack animals this much larger. But now, each of the canines had fury in its eyes, bristled fur, drool dripping from their mouths… They looked completely feral and out of control, ready to kill.

As the wolves paced on, slowly surrounding their victims and filling the arena with the sound of their gruesome hungry growling, Mufasa held his breath. But what he also noticed was that the other beasts were far from giving up without a fight. All of them stood with confidence, observing their enemies, exposing their fangs threateningly. They may have been outnumbered, but the situation was not hopeless. Or at least that was what the lion kept telling himself.

When the wolves almost had encircled their targeted prey, it seemed that the pack awaited for their leader's signal. One of them, however, was not patient enough. The crazed female, froth covering her snout, ran straight at Ursus, completely ignoring the others.

But before she reached him, the bear stood up, towering over her, akin to a mountain of flesh. He issued a roar so deep and so powerful that it made the she-wolf hesitate. But it was already too late.

Ursus' massive paw hit her like a battering ram, creating a loud thud. The she-wolf's yelp she issued before being sent flying through the air was similar to that of an injured pup.

Her body collided with the ground merely a dozen yards from Mufasa and Scar's noses as they peeked through the bars of their tight window, kicking up a cloud of dust. The she-wolf lifted her head up one last time, moaned, and died.

-"That's one out of many," – the older lion heard his brother say, and afterwards both of them looked back toward the pack.

The alpha male was now breathing out fury, and fully ready for a merciless revenge assault. Ursus, Burns, Pardus, Zidi and Jo also prepared themselves for the slaughter.

The wolves all crouched, growling as they were about to pounce and flood their opponents. Their furious leader howled to them-

-"As one!"

Mufasa and Scar gasped, stiffened… and shook as they heard a terrible, desperate scream of pain.

 _AAAAAAAARGH…!_

The frightening noise did not come from the beasts, however. Startled and confused, the whole wolf pack froze before being able to attack and pricked up their ears, turning their heads toward somewhere up where the humans sat. Mufasa and Scar quickly looked that way, following their lead.

-"What the hell was that?" – wondered Scar, indicating to his brother that he was just as startled as him.

Mufasa strained his eyes, and noticed unrest among the spectators. It appeared that, not unlike the animals in the arena, some of them had begun to fight with each other again.

-"I think one of them just killed another human," – the lion assessed from what he was able to make out of the huge mess.

Indeed, the situation looked extremely chaotic. Once again, the humans' attention quickly turned from the arena to the spectators' seats. While the fist-fight among two groups engulfed a quarter of them, the rest were split between cheering for and cursing the instigators. The noise became almost unbearable.

-"This is complete madness…" – Mufasa expressed his thoughts, both shocked and mesmerized by the amount of unrest which the humans were able to create. He noticed that the animals in the arena also just stood there, petrified, unsure of whether they should fight or not at this point.

-"Look, our jailer is going to attempt to control this fun little muddle," – his brother informed him of his own observation, pointing toward Grassus.

Mufasa looked that way, and saw the Beastmaster surrounded by a bunch of armed bodyguards, issuing commands angrily. Suddenly, coming from some secret entrance, a whole squad of leather-clad soldiers with swords and spears barged in, shoving people aside mercilessly, heading toward the epicenter of the riot.

-"Oh, it's the men with the fake nipples again!" – Scar said with joy. – "This ought to be quite the spectacle!"

Not sharing his sibling's enthusiasm, Mufasa continued to observe the situation. Upon noticing the soldiers, the fighting humans quickly ended their brawl. Some quickly made a run for it, vanishing in the crowd. However, when the soldiers found the dead body (which turned out to be that of a guard, a member of their ranks), they began furiously questioning everyone around, searching for the murderer.

The interrogation only took a minute. The unarmed visitors of the amphitheater, for fear of being accused of committing the crime themselves, quickly apprehended the culprit, and dragged him before the soldiers. Then they, not sparing blows and punches, brought the terrified man before Grassus.

It appeared that the Beastmaster was a more important member of Carthaginian society than Mufasa had given him credit for. When the murderer, who was apparently a member of a much lower class, was thrown at the Roman noble's feet, he spat with disgust. In response, bearing a grave expression, Grassus kicked him in the face.

When the man stumbled, soldiers grabbed him again, forcing him to stand up. The Beastmaster then ordered him to be taken away.

But even though his order was a clear one, the soldiers remained where they stood.

Mufasa watched the whole scene intently, and soon noticed that all the animals in the arena, the spectators, and even Scar were now completely silent, eagerly awaiting to see the outcome.

Outraged by the soldiers' insubordination, Grassus crossed his arms. The sound of his angry voice echoed over the amphitheater.

-"Homicida iuste iudicaturus est, secundum Legem Romanam!"* - he insisted.

But the guards would not budge.

Finally, one of them, whose outfit seemed to indicate that he was the leader, raised his fist in the air and issued a demanding scream, so loud that all of the other humans could hear him.

-" _Iace ad bestias!_ " *

Grassus' face immediately became twisted with anger. He refused vehemently, yet the soldiers were unaffected, standing behind their centurion. They too began to yell, and the crowd, hungry for a spectacle, immediately followed. Soon, the whole arena shook with the sound of their chant.

 _AD BESTIAS! AD BESTIAS! AD BESTIAS!_

-"It appears that they desire swift justice in retaliation for one of their own, heh-heh," – Scar chuckled at Mufasa's side.

-"But… what do they want to do?" – the older lion inquired, confused.

He then noticed a venomous, disgusting smirk appearing on his brother's face.

-"Think, Muffy," – said the dark lion. – "You do not need to understand the human's tongue like Ursus in order to guess their intentions, do you?"

Of course, Mufasa could guess that. But for the very life of him, he did not imagine that the humans' cruelty could actually be this great.

As he observed in gruesome astonishment, Grassus finally waved his hand in resignation, turning his face at the soldiers, indicating that he neither approved nor cared about what they would do. He then proceeded to march off his podium, and out of the amphitheater.

The terrified culprit, wailing so loud that he even outshouted the crowd, now threw himself at the Beastmaster's feet, grabbing the edge of his toga. Yet he was promptly hoisted up by the strong hands of the soldiers.

The spectators began cheering like never before, completely forgetting about why they ever decided to riot in the first place. They were enjoying what they saw, and the murderer came to understand that he had just foolishly sealed his fate.

Mufasa sat petrified, watching how the soldiers dragged the man to the edge of the balustrades, lifted him up in spite of his strong resistance, and hurled him into the arena.

When the murderer pulled his face out of the sand, he found himself surrounded by a bear, a tiger, a panther, two lionesses, and a whole pack of wolves. All of them starving, angry beasts.

Shrieking as if he were tortured, he jumped to his feet, and pulled out a hidden dagger. But the small blade was a meager defense against the overwhelming power of the animals.

The first one to pounce at him was Burns. Once the tiger had crushed the man with the weight of his body, the other beasts quickly joined the feast, blocking Mufasa's sight completely.

The spectators responded with joyful applause. And Scar burst out laughing.

-"Oh, shut up!" – his brother scolded him, annoyed and mad because of both his and the humans' savagery.

The animals' meal lasted for some time, after which there were barely even any bones to be found. Since the crowd was satisfied, the handlers entered the arena and brought the animals back to their pens.

The fight was over.

As the victorious beasts walked back into their cells, Scar began to slow-clap, praising their performance.

-"Impressive. Truly impressive!" – he kept saying, and Mufasa wasn't sure whether he was being sarcastic or not. – "You all got a free meal, and you didn't even have to fight those wolves!"

-"I'm actually kind of disappointed by that," – Jo responded as she lay by his side, licking the rest of the blood from her mouth, tired of struggling with the others over the meat.

Ignoring them, Mufasa stood before Ursus.

-"Why didn't they bring us out?" – he asked point-blank.

-"We'd have been an OP team together with the two of you, clawsnfangs," – the bear said, smiling. – "Don't worry. You'll have your challenges, too."

The manner with which all of them dealt with this situation was extremely unsettling to Mufasa. Only Pardus did not express any sign of having derived pleasure from what they encountered in the arena, but of course he didn't count. The lion noticed that the panther was looking at Burns, however, and that the tiger, though gushing with happiness, was limping.

-"You're injured," – Mufasa pointed out to the feline, whose fur was stained with blood which did not belong to the mauled human.

-"Huh?" – Burns reacted by making a surprised face, and looking at his side. – "Oh, this? It's nothing! That guy barely scratched me with his tiny little blade."

Waving the whole matter off, he then turned to Pardus.

-"Thanks for warning me before the whole thing started!"

In a splendid mood, the tiger lied down on the floor comfortably, and proceeded to clean his wound. For some reason, Mufasa was able to notice that Pardus continued to stare at him.

The lion returned to his corner, feeling generally bitter. His thoughts were the more gloomy now as the scent of human blood caused his stomach to violently rumble.

* * *

 **AN:**

 *** - The murderer is to be justly tried, according to Roman law!**

 *** - Throw him to the beasts!**


	16. Vulpes Inculta

**AN: Hey, did you hear? The abysmal Sonic Movie trailer just got released, and the fans (myself included) were so outraged that the film's creators actually vowed to change the design!**

 **This is huge. Will it affect Hollywood in general, and stop the tidal wave of horrible CGI pictures no-one asked for? Keep your eyes peeled, as this will also affect the fate of our arena boys…**

* * *

 **CAPUT XVI – VULPES INCULTA** (The Uncouth Fox)

 _(Scar)_

After Grassus' sudden departure from the arena, the animals were left alone, and that day of the Games was concluded with gladiator fights. The humans, saturated with the blood of the members of their own species, went home without causing much more disturbance.

For those locked in the pens, the Beastmaster's absence meant that nobody bothered to come and clean their cages, or give them any food. Though alive, they lied down for the night with empty stomachs.

This was especially bothersome for Scar. The lionesses who slept at his side at least got to grab a bite from the flesh of the executed human insurrectionist. As he did not receive even that much, his mood was fairly bad, and he had trouble falling asleep.

When he finally did, he wasn't given much opportunity to rest, however. Years of living by himself have caused his senses to become sharp and alert, but that also meant that even the slightest rustle could wake him.

When some odd noise in the darkness pulled his back from the dream world, he saw nothing at first, as the torches went out and his eyes needed a moment for his night vision to start working. He had a bitter taste in his mouth, and both his stomach and his head hurt.

The lion wanted to yell at whoever was making the noise at first, but then he realized that this would only awaken the two females whose steady breathing he could feel next to him. And that would reduce the chances of him getting any real rest even more.

Instead, he raised his head up slightly, blinked, and attempted to take a look around the dark cages. He noticed his brother lying in the corner with his face toward the wall. Burns was also fast asleep, stretched out abnormally in order to not put pressure on his wounds. Pardus was completely invisible, his black fur making him blend in with the night.

But there was something else. Something that made the curious feline's brow wrinkle. The one who was making the sound, although he was noticeably trying not to be heard, was Ursus. Scar saw the bear standing on his hind legs, looking through the window of his cell.

-" _Psst!_ " – the animal called at someone, turning around to see if anyone was watching him.

This curious behavior made Scar lay his head back on the pavement soundlessly, and pretend to be asleep while keeping one eye open. After the revelation of the fact that Ursus could understand the humans, the lion now found him to be an extremely interesting character, although he wouldn't show it. He wondered what useful information the bear could possibly provide him with, and this seemed like a perfect moment to acquire such information.

Scar observed that Ursus' summons have indeed attracted someone, though that someone was not a human. From the other side of the bars, a small furry creature gawked into the pens. It took some time for the lion to recognize, from the visitor's long snout and pointy ears, that the animal was a fox. A _free_ fox, perhaps a scavenger from the city, not anyone who would be used for fighting in the arena.

In secret, Scar observed the two animals' conversation intently.

The young vulpine poked his head through the bars with ease, sniffed the air, looked back at Ursus, and without a word of greeting issued a rather point-blank question.

-"Got any meat?"

The bear almost shook, not enjoying the manner and volume with which the fox uttered those words.

-"Lower your voice, Cinis!" – he admonished him angrily. Then, whispering, he continued – "What in Hades' name is going on in the city? The humans haven't properly fed us in four days! Yesterday, a riot broke out among the spectators. Was the bloody Emperor overthrown? Are the Barbarians attacking? Or, even worse- is there a famine in the land?"

Unaffected by Ursus' noticeable concern, the fox continued to test the air in search for the smell of food. Disgruntled, the bear went on in a somber tone-

"If what I think is happening, is happening… it better not be."

Cinis continued to ignore him for a while longer, and then passively turned toward Ursus as if he only now noticed his presence.

-"I'll tell you. If you give me something to eat."

-" _I don't HAVE any_ …" – the bear raised his voice, seriously irritated, but immediately stopped himself. Then, clenching his teeth, he whispered – "There's a lot of attitude that's going on around here!"

-"Cuss off!" – Cinis snorted.

-"You cuss off!" – retorted Ursus.

Suddenly, a noise of someone rolling over to the other side was heard. Scar pricked up his ears.

This time, it was Mufasa, who was apparently awaken by the two animals' argument. Or at least half-awaken.

-"Will you keep it down? Others are trying to sleep over here…" – the lion mumbled drowsily, not fully conscious of what was going on.

The bear froze for a while, but then calmly responded-

-"Sorry, clawsnfangs. It won't happen again."

Now Scar noticed that the fox was looking at Ursus with an expression of resentment and disappointment. It was as if they had once been partners who had parted ways because of some supposed fault on the bear's behalf.

Noticing the way Cinis looked at him, Ursus became even angrier. This time, however, he moved closer to the window, and kept his voice down.

-"A lot of good animals are PROBABLY GONNA DIE because of you!" – he admonished the fox yet again for what Scar deduced was him keeping the information of what happened in the city to himself.

Now that was something that the lion himself would also very much like to know. Alas, Cinis continued to act like Ursus had gravely insulted him.

-"You're supposed to be my friend," – the fox addressed him coldly.

This was a bit strange, since Ursus was the first one to declare to them their 'no friend' policy. Apparently, this only concerned the animals _inside_ the cages. Perhaps by now, the bear had been able to develop some sort of a network of informers from among the animals of Carthage, a member of which Cinis had once been?

-"I am!" – Ursus responded to the nocturnal visitor's accusation vehemently. Yet the fox would not heed.

-"No you're not. You're disloyal," – he mumbled grimly. Then he added- "I don't have pelt lice, by the way."

-"I never said that!" – the bear immediately denied. – "And whoever said I did, is misquoting me!"

-"You know what? I'm gonna put dirt in my ears," – Cinis maintained his snarky attitude, and then did just as he said. – "That's better. I can't hear you now, but keep talking."

Ticked off completely, Ursus swung his paw at him, but before he was able to hit the fox's ginger nob, he ran off into the night, and the bear's long claws scraped against the metal of the bars.

With Scar continuing to observe, the big animal gave off a groan of dismay. Then he walked away from the window.

-"Verdammter Hund.. _._ " - the bear mumbled, rolled up in a ball, and went to sleep.

 _If even he's feeling upset, the situation must really be bad. Or perhaps that hairy ball of lard is just exaggerating?_ – Scar thought to himself.

He wanted to ignore that, just as he did with many other things that were ramming at the gates of his mind in order to shatter his inner peace. He wanted to lie beside Zidi and Jo, and fall asleep feeling the warmth of their bodies.

But then another gut-wrenching sensation reached him. It was the scent of rotting flesh. He always hated that smell, which was the main reason why he used to visit the Elephant Graveyard only on occasions of dire necessity.

But the smell wasn't the only thing that bothered him right now. He was mostly wondering about its origin. Ursus had actually told Cinis the honest truth- their cells were completely empty, and there was not even a sliver of meat anywhere to be found. Yet the fox did not believe him, as he also felt that scent...

Scar turned his head to find Burns moaning in his sleep. He now noticed that the tiger was in visible pain, and most likely feverish. Judging by the reek and the sound of flies buzzing, his wounds had gotten infected.

An image of the dying lioness he saw as a cub flashed in his mind. And then, another one- a memory of the sight of his mother's dead corpse.

Scar quickly rolled over and shut his eyes tight, wishing that he could somehow make the darkness of the night fill up his brain to the brim.

* * *

 **AN: This chapter is inspired by a certain movie about foxes. I wonder if anyone gets it. As a hint, I can tell you that the word 'Cinis' means 'Ash'.**

 **And yes, there are foxes in Tunisia. I checked.**


	17. Ursa Maior

**AN: Music for this chapter- Three Days Grace – Animal I Have Become.**

* * *

 **CAPUT XVII – URSA MAIOR** (The Great She-Bear)

 _(Mufasa)_

The rays of the morning sun illumined the inside of the royal den at Pride Rock. Sarabi was playing with Simba, and both the mother and the son were laughing joyfully.

He had seen this dream before. And the fact that he was dreaming it again only made him feel worse. This time, however, the difference was that another lion was also present in the cave, sitting a bit farther away, obscured by the shadows.

The old king Ahadi. The one whom some called 'Ahadi the Fallen'. But never him.

His father looked exactly as Mufasa remembered him- as he appeared before his self-exile, the last time his son ever saw him. But unlike Sarabi and Simba in his dream, Ahadi appeared to be aware of his presence. The long-passed king's eyes, the expression in them seemed to carry the message- 'be strong, my son!'

Or did he actually hear his father say that?

There was no way to tell, as a terrible feeling ended the dream at that very moment, waking him up abruptly. The fleas which had infested Mufasa's fur caused his skin to itch so badly that not only did he have trouble sleeping, but he even had to hold back from scratching and biting himself to the point of drawing blood.

The once-mighty king of the Pridelands was beginning to feel increasingly depressed.

As he chewed the irritated patch of skin on his side passionately, with his bloodshot eyes he observed the rest of the animals as they were waking up. Even though it were them who had given him fleas, the beasts of Carthage didn't seem to mind the parasites' presence, having gotten used to it. The only one who also started his day with scratching and grumbling, was Scar.

As the general mood within the cells was lousy, no one spoke to each other, and once Mufasa was able to pick out and kill most of the insects from his fur (although there never seemed to be an end to them), he occupied himself with observing the human crowd gathering in the arena.

He had a hard time trying to hide from himself how much he wanted to devour one of those people. The feeling made him dread in fear of what his imprisonment had done to him.

Unsurprisingly, the animals soon heard the familiar sound of opening doors, and saw their jailer standing there in his full obese glory. Their eyes were fixed at Grassus especially intently because, just like for the past few days, all of them waited for him to finally feed them. Mufasa was no exception here.

He saw no food in the Beastmaster's possession, however. What he noticed was the beads of sweat on the man's forehead, his unsteady breath, and an overall feeling that he was in some sort of trouble.

Grassus barged into the chamber, shaking, his two slave henchmen at his flank. All the beasts stood erect as the Roman inspected them, as if looking for this day's victim. A way to please the increasingly dissatisfied mob.

He looked like he was about to be sent to the arena himself, Mufasa thought.

Finally, the human and the lion's eyes met, and Mufasa knew that his time had come. Grassus pointed his chubby finger at him, and turned to his cronies.

-"Maximum," – he panted, as if delivering a brief verdict.

The two slaves nodded, and exited the cells, following their master.

The lion's first reaction was to turn toward Ursus.

-"What did he say?" – he asked, not showing any semblance of fear.

-"He said, _send in the biggest one_ ," – the bear responded passively, as usual. – "I told you that your challenge would come, eventually."

Mufasa drew a deep breath, maintaining a hard-as-stone expression even though his guts were tied up in a knot. He was famished and weakened… but after all, he was still the king. The vision of his father cast a ray of hope on this doleful situation, even if it was only a dim light.

Standing in a dignified pose, mentally preparing for the upcoming battle, he caught the sight of his brother as he sat in the company of his two broads.

-"Good luck!" – said Scar, winking. But Mufasa knew too well that his smirk was merely one of sarcasm.

Everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the handlers who would send the lion out into the arena when an unfamiliar, high-pitched sound suddenly reverberated through the air. The older inhabitants of the pens seemed particularly stirred up by that. When Mufasa saw Zidi and Jo abandoning his brother's side to run over to the window, he curiously turned to Ursus with another question.

-"What was that?" – asked the concerned lion.

-"Trumpets," – the bear explained, himself evidently surprised by the sound of the instruments.

Perplexed, Mufasa wanted to inquire what that meant, but then the lionesses gave him the response themselves.

-"The Governor is here!" – exclaimed Jo, almost leaping for joy as she peeked through the bars.

Zidi was just as enthusiastic as her daughter.

-"You better put up a show for him, Muffy!" – she added.

-"Does his presence entail us finally receiving a proper meal?" – Scar asked the same question which haunted Mufasa's mind.

Ursus put his paws on his hips, smiling mysteriously.

-"It depends," – he answered. – "Supposedly, Galerius doesn't like the Games himself. He only shows up to appease the crowd. People know that when he comes, he is likely to distribute free food. What happens in the arena is usually taken up a notch, as well. And if the people are satisfied… the animals are satisfied."

Suddenly, after the bear was done speaking, Mufasa felt something he had not experienced since leaving Pride Rock. In an instant, the eyes of all those within the cells were turned toward him. Only unlike his former subjects, these looked at him with a fervent demand rather than a hopeful request.

Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't fail them. The shouts of the multitude of humans outside, caused by the presence of the Proconsul, made the adrenaline run through his veins even more rapidly. He imagined himself standing before the human ruler of Carthage, whom he blamed for all of his misery. He wished he could erase that man from existence, as if he was the incarnation of all this horror which he was forced to live daily. He wished he could feast on the Governor's flesh…

When the handlers entered the pens, wielding grapnels in their hands, Mufasa noticed how his bloodlust had caused him to get carried away. Obviously, the mere thought that he could become as savage as his brother was disgusting to him. But then again, his anger was no longer something he could control, either. It gave him power, and power was something he needed not only to take revenge on the humans, but also to survive.

-"Go, clawsnfangs. Show them what you're made of," – he heard Ursus encouraging him. The expressions of all the others seemed to say the same.

The fleas, the bars, the separation from his family and kingdom… all of that accumulated in him right now. When one of the slaves tried to hook Mufasa by the link on his collar, he heard the lion's mighty roar, which along with the sight of his huge, needle-like fangs caused him to step back in horror. When he tried again, the lion struck the grappling pole with his huge paw, and when the slave made a third attempt, Mufasa grabbed the wooden shaft with his jaws, snapping it like a twig.

Scar raised a brow.

It was only when the other handlers ran up to him with spears that Mufasa finally decided to move. Still snarling back at the men viciously, he slowly made his way toward the exit, and the metal gate was raised.

Walking down the narrow hallway, he could already hear the wailing of the mob. Moreover, someone had spilled some blood at the entrance to the arena in order to attract him to go outside. All of that caused him to feel blazing fury, and a ravenous hunger. Nevertheless, me maintained control over his senses.

 _I must win_ – he constantly repeated in his mind, not caring about what exactly he would be made to face.

Again he felt the hot sand underneath his paws, the blinding sight of the clear sky, and the scent of blood. The amphitheater had been decorated with garlands of flowers and fresh fruit, which gave this place of slaughter an even more grotesque appearance. The trumpeters were holding their glistening brass instruments, which reflected the rays of the morning sun.

Mufasa noticed that the arena was even more full than before. Thirty thousand pairs of eyes now looked at him, and the effect of that was indescribable. Their chants caused by the appearance of the largest lion they've ever seen were almost intoxicating.

Bedazzled and confused, Mufasa was barely able to notice the silk canopy which shaded the front row section of the seats. Underneath, in the middle, upon a decorated chair there sat a man of authority, dressed in white, surrounded by hosts of servants and bodyguards. The Proconsul looked engaged, but not really concerned with the fate of those around him.

The lion ground his fangs. Of course, he couldn't dream of fighting Galerius in the arena. He was here merely to entertain him, as well as the whole crowd. The king of the Pridelands, reduced to the role of a jester. All he could do was to deprive his spectators of the pleasure of seeing him die.

Looking toward the Governor's stall, Mufasa lifted his head defiantly and roared as loud as he could. He managed to outshout the mob, but just barely. Some cheered, some started clapping. Galerius didn't even blink.

Once again, Grassus stood at his podium as master of ceremonies, and silenced everyone by lifting his chunky arms. He enthusiastically welcomed the Proconsul, what caused the crowd to cheer even more. Obviously, they were expecting some kind of a sign of their ruler's benevolence.

The cacophony of sound mesmerizing him, Mufasa was barely able to hear someone calling his name. Turning his head in confusion, he noticed that the sound was coming from the narrow gap in one of the walls, which was the window to his own cell.

-"Muffy! Over here!" – he noticed his brother yelling his way as he tried to squeeze his snout through the bars.

Mufasa approached reluctantly, and the siblings shared a glare.

With his trademark mocking smirk arching the corner of his mouth, Scar spoke first.

-"All of our cellmates down here wish to deliver their wishes of best fortune to you, brother. Yet I assure you that I'm the one who will be cheering your struggle the most!"

-"You can't trick me with your lies," – the older lion snapped back at him, his face twisted by the anger and disgust he felt right now.

His brother smiled.

-"Have it your way, then. But trust me when I say that you better be on your guard. Look behind you- they are about to open the gate."

Mufasa turned his head, and immediately heard the deafening sound of trumpets and the outcry of the mob which followed it. Somewhere in the distance, Grassus was flailing his arms around and announcing the upcoming event, looking back from time to time at the motionless Proconsul who sat under his silken baldachin.

The lion stood firmly, with a lowered head, planting his paws steadily in the sand. As he fixed his eyes intently on the thick wooden door in front of him, all he could think of was the image of his father, and Ahadi's words he heard in his dream.

 _Be strong, my son._

Yes, he was strong. Stronger than anyone. No matter whether it was in savanna of the Pridelands, or the streets of Carthage- he had no equal. And all those who would dare to stand before him, would die.

The seconds dragged mercilessly as the frail human slaves pulled at the chains which lifted up the barrier that separated him from his foe. Violent, gruesome snarls came from the other side, even more loud than those of the crowd…

And then he finally saw her. Mufasa was not someone who would have accused himself of a lack of imagination, but still, the creature which he witnessed stumbling into the arena was not something he had expected. Another lion? Sure. A man on a chariot? That would have been fair game, too. But this…?

 _This… this is impossible!_ – he internally bewailed the surprisingly devastatingly uneven match he was put in.

Before him stood a monstrous she-bear, bulky and ferocious. His adrenaline may have taken the best of him, but Mufasa was fairly sure that the female beast was even larger than Ursus. Her crazed frenzy made it evident that she had not been fed in days… although before that, the humans had fattened her well.

The astounded feline felt his legs shake, and it caused him to instinctively step back. As he backed the wall of the amphitheater, he could already hear his brother's mocking cackle, pouring through the window.

-" _Hahaha…!_ " – the dark lion seemed to be enjoying himself just as much as the humans. – "Well, isn't _that_ an opponent worthy of a king…"

This was no laughing matter to Mufasa, however, and all he was able to say in response was-

-"How in the world… am I supposed to beat that thing?"

The insecurity in his sibling's voice made Scar exhibit a smug grin which was nastier than ever.

-"You only have one choice. And that is, to do what you've always shrunk away from for fear of breaking the precious rules of our land. Fight _dirty!_ "

That remark only caused Mufasa to glare back at him in resentment. But, of course, his brother's reaction was one of even greater mockery.

-"Haha, you always said that a good king searches for what he can give! Give 'em death! _Or, even better, give them your life_."

But the last part of Scar's remark, which the younger feline merely whispered, failed to reach Mufasa's ears. He was already preoccupied with something else. That is, with the gigantic she-bear standing in front of him.

When the animal entered the arena, fully showing herself to the spectators, the crowd burst out in a wave of cheering and calling for blood. That only made her opponent's heart pound even faster.

He had never hunted a bear, or anything like that, in his entire life, as such animals did not live in Africa. Now that he looked at her closely, he estimated that this battle was comparable to fighting a smaller, yet better armed and better armored elephant.

The she-bear's whole body was fully covered with a coat of thick, brown fur, which made access to any vulnerable spot on her body basically impossible. And even if he somehow managed to penetrate this hairy armor, there was still the second, even thicker barrier of fat… The beast's paws were like tree trunks, and all of them were encrusted with sharp, deadly claws which put even the largest predators to shame.

Mufasa imagined those claws tearing through his flesh, and a shiver ran down his spine.

But the she-bear, having caught sight of him, inebriated by the hostile animal's scent, began to charge, making the ground underneath her paws quake. There was no more time to think.

At first, Mufasa launched to the side, abandoning his brother at the cell window. Enraged, the ursine taunted him with a growl, exposing her massive fangs. Though the lion responded with the same, he quickly noticed that his own teeth were not as intimidating. A sensation he wasn't exactly used to.

Sweating nervously, he still persevered in his desperate search for a strategy. But the hungry beast did not leave him much time for deliberations.

When she charged with another attack, the air reverberating with her throaty snarl, Mufasa dared to confront her this time. But he was smart and experienced enough to know that he better avoid a direct impact with this moving chunk of flesh and nastiness. When the bear tried to sink her teeth in him, the lion ejected from the ground with the use of his strong hind legs, dodged the attack, and landed on the other animal's back.

The people around them gasped, and Mufasa was sure that he had, at the very least, been able to pierce the bear's skin. Or at least so he had estimated by her reaction. The pain caused the beast to become even more violent. With a fervent shrug, she attempted to knock the feline off her, but when that didn't work, she decided to lift her massive paw.

And that was when Mufasa made a huge mistake. In a frantic attempt to bite into the bear's thick neck, which quickly proved impossible, he wasted too much precious time. Unable to protect himself, he exposed his side to the bear's crushing blow.

He could not recall feeling such pain ever before in his life, and certainly not being hit with such power. The beast's front limb reached the area of his heart, not only causing him to let go of the she-bear, but also to hit the ground with his back, and roll over like a piece of fruit falling from a tree.

At first, he couldn't breathe, which almost made him panic. When he finally was able to draw a breath, he inhaled the dust which was kicked up by his fall, and started choking. His sight became blurry, and his head was spinning. The pain in his side reached an almost unbearable level.

-"That's so grizzly!" – he heard his brother's voice somewhere in the distance, muted by the crazed chants of the crowd. – "There's blood and everything!"

Shaking his head after he was finally able to stand up, Mufasa examined how badly he was injured. But he quickly turned his head in fright upon noticing the stripes of skin dangling from his side…

Not soon enough did he snap out of his initial shock. The she-bear was already by his side, ready to obliterate her enemy and walk out of the arena victorious.

The lion barely caught a glimpse of the beast as she towered over him, standing on her hind legs.

The blow reached his jaw, nearly dislocating it. The ursine's claws slashed his cheek, and the king felt the taste of blood.

All the sounds and scents now blended together in a hazy blur. The only thing he still felt clearly was the biting pain. And then, Mufasa realized something. He became conscious of the inevitable fact that he would lose this battle.

And that he would die.

He was put before a stronger enemy on purpose- so that the humans would have an enjoyable spectacle of gore. There was never a chance for him to be able to kill this she-bear. He could almost hear Scar's chuckle.

It was unavoidable. He would fail. His kingdom was lost, and he would never see his family again. His bones would wither in a foreign land, and he would have to face the Old Kings in shame.

This thought made him feel one thing. Surprisingly, it was not sorrow or self-pity.

It was rage.

As Mufasa opened his eyes, trying to see in spite of the blood which covered his wounded face, he caught the sight of his opponent. The beast readied herself for a finishing blow.

He had never really hated anybody. True, he had been mad with Scar on more occasions than he could remember… but he had never really _hated_ him.

And now, as he gazed into the furious eyes of the deranged she-bear, Mufasa knew what it really meant to hate someone. Truth be told, he didn't even have to understand it. It just came from somewhere inside of him, like a secret he had been trying to push back for all his life.

It was this rage that made him realize that Scar was right all along.

The beast charged at him now, attempting to thrust her fangs into him like a row of pointy daggers, and end his life by crushing his skull in between her enormous jaws. But that was the last thing that Mufasa would let her do.

In spite of his injuries, he was still faster than her. Dodging the she-bear's gaping maw, he roared in her face, enticing the beast to attempt another assault. And his hate-filled opponent responded to his taunt by doing just that.

For a quarter of a second, she exposed her head. Shuffling his paws on the surface of the sand skillfully, just as he had done during his many hunts back home, once again he narrowly avoided getting mauled… and was then able to issue a blow himself.

It was then that the bear found out that Mufasa's claws, though shorter than hers, were just as dangerous.

The walls of the amphitheater shook after the beast burst out in a cry of pain, so powerful and so gruesome that even the humans in their seats could feel her suffering. The trumpeters stood baffled, their instruments shamed by the might of that noise. Thick droplets of bear blood soiled the arena.

His enemy howled and waved her head, completely stunned, yet Mufasa was not done with her yet. This was not a day for mercy. There was but one way he could save his skin, and though he never thought he would stoop so low, his survival called for it. And the overwhelming rage he felt, which made him breathe out in a desire for blood, called for it even louder.

As the injured she-bear swayed in agony, without a moment of hesitation, Mufasa pounced at her, roaring wildly as he extended his frightful claws. His attack did not miss its target, and soon he buried those same claws in his foe's face.

The huge animal then jerked her neck with such might that it sent the lion flying. He fell on his injured side, wincing from the burning, nearly overwhelming pain. Barely was he able to lift himself from the sand again.

But what he then saw before him, was a sight to behold. The thirty thousand humans now all held their breath in shock. The Proconsul sat with his mouth agape, ignoring the fact that his slaves suddenly stopped fanning him. For a second, there was complete silence everywhere.

Mufasa felt his own heart racing as he saw the bear in front of him standing erect on her hind legs, exposing her full stature which almost covered the sun. The animal stretched out her stiff paws, and opened her mouth, trying to catch a raspy breath. Two streams of blood now flowed from both sides of her face and down her furry chest.

Mufasa had gouged out her eyes, blinding the beast completely.

The woeful wail which then echoed above the heads of those gathered in the arena was one of a crushing colossus. It expressed fully what the she-bear now became conscious of- her total defeat.

The lion knew that he would never be able to kill her. But blinding her, though cruel, would render the animal completely useless in battle. Which in this place, was equivalent to her death.

The furious, vanquished beast now fell into a frenzy of pain and despair. Waving her head, she started running around, following the scent of her conqueror, crying out with a promise of vengeance.

Mufasa, however, slowly began to walk away from her, leaving the blinded bear alone in the midst of the arena.

He made his way toward the metal gate which led to the pens. It was over. In the corner of his eye, he could already see the humans drawing their bows as they prepared to dispatch the crazed beast, injured beyond healing, that was not only of no use to them anymore, but who also would not allow any human to even approach her.

Moments later, Mufasa heard the crowd starting a unison chant of praise. A chant dedicated to him.

He laughed internally, celebrating his victory.

But then he felt the pain of his wounds again, which made him abandon his gruesome feeling of joy. And so did the scent of bear blood which emanated from his soiled paws.

As the humans opened the door in front of him, all he could feel was anger and disgust, especially aimed toward himself.

His jail mates stood in awe, and even Scar held his tongue, completely shocked by his older sibling's ruthless brutality.

Mufasa sat down in the middle of the cage, panting, squirming from the pulsating pain in his side. His eyes met those of Ursus, in which the lion saw a slight spark of sorrow and dismay, most likely caused by the death of a member of the bear's own kind.

-"Was that… better?" – the victorious feline uttered between breaths.

Ursus turned his head, and bitterly responded-

-"Well, you sure as cuss not getting any worse."

Mufasa then turned toward Scar.

-"We must escape from this place!" – he once again voiced his wish, which contained within it just how much he now hated what being here had done to him.

His brother, however, only laughed in response. It was as if he derived pleasure from the older lion's miserable look, and the sight of scars on his own, once flawless, face.

That day, by decree of governor Galerius Maximus, free bread was distributed amongst those present in the amphitheater.

Hours later, the beasts in the pens were fed with bear meat. Grassus was very, very satisfied with Mufasa's performance in the arena.

The only ones who went hungry were Ursus, who staunchly refused to turn to cannibalism despite the fact that he was starving, and Burns, who at this point was too feverish to eat.

When Mufasa brought his portion closer to the tiger, all he could answer was-

-"Good job! You really showed that prick…"

The lion wasn't sure if the one Burns had in mind was the she-bear, or the Proconsul. Nevertheless, he encouraged the sick feline to eat, or else he would never be able to recover from his injuries.

As he was saying that, he saw something that disturbed him. It was Scar, having the audacity to try to steal his portion of bear meat behind his back, although he did nothing to even earn his own one.

Jolting from Burns' side, Mufasa charged at Scar, making him drop the morsel and quickly back up against the wall. When his brother advanced toward him with a growl, however, the younger lion was quickly flanked by Zidi and Jo, what made him stand much more securely.

When the injured king saw not one, but three lions standing against him, he managed to tame his rage, and instead focused on cleaning his wounds. Although at this point, he could not be sure if he would be able to still control himself if his loathsome sibling ever dared to offend him like that again.

* * *

 **AN: Galerius Maximus is a historical figure. He was the governor of the Roman province of Africa from 258-259 AD.**


	18. Victima

**AN: Well, the live-action Aladdin movie just came out… immediately falling on its own face. This does not bode well for Lion King 2019 :P**

* * *

 **CAPUT XVIII – VICTIMA** (The Victim)

 _(Scar)_

Since the crowds were unrelenting in their demand for a spectacle, the next battle was promptly readied. Zidi, Jo and Pardus were sent out into the arena. With their bellies filled with bear meat, provided courtesy of Mufasa, the trio of felines entered the ring with a lot of energy and confidence. They all returned in one piece, after successfully battering a whole bunch of random beasts selected from some other section of the vast Carthaginian menagerie.

After Scar commended the two lionesses for their remarkable performance, and after they retaliated by fawning against him carrying delighted smiles on their blood-soaked faces, Grassus ordered that the next fighter would be Ursus. The bear, though still very hungry, seemed to have regained some of his glee after witnessing the death of the she-bear.

With a somber smirk, the animal turned to his fellow cell mates and said:

-"It is now really time to depart, I to die and you to go on living. But which of us goes to a better thing, is unclear."

Scar had a hunch that the bear was quoting some egg-headed human scholar again, and that he wasn't really being honest. This speculation only proved true when Ursus returned unscathed, after nearly ripping off the arm of an overconfident _murmillo_. Since the crowds were howling in enjoyment, the bear was given some old jerky as reward for his victory, which also pleased him greatly.

By that time the Governor had departed, and the humans prepared to spend the rest of the afternoon watching gladiator fights. That meant that the animals in the pens could breathe with relief, at least for another day.

Bored with the sight of men beating one another with swords, Scar dozed off. When he finally opened his eyes again, he noticed that he'd lost track of time. Directing his drowsy eyes at the window, he saw that it was already late in the evening, but even in spite of that, the angry voices of humans could still be heard coming from outside.

The lion sluggishly lifted himself up, stretched, and looked toward Ursus. The bear was standing by the window of his own cell, looking greatly concerned. And it seemed that the others were like that, as well.

Listening carefully, Scar was able to make out what the crowd outside was shouting. It was just one word, which they repeated over and over.

 _PANEM! PANEM! PANEM!_

Irritated by the ruckus, though not considering it to be a sign of anything alarming, he proceeded to groom his fur, half-heartedly directing a question to the only one who understood the humans' language.

-"What are they wailing about?"

Ursus did not turn his face away from the window.

-"They are crying out for food, clawsnfangs" – he answered.

-"What, haven't they been fed already?"

-"The Governor gave some bread to those present at the morning Games, but those who came later didn't get a sniff. If they keep screaming like that and don't leave the amphitheater, the authorities will send in soldiers to beat them into submission."

The bear then released a deep sigh. Facing his fellow inmates, he shared his fears with them, his voice overstrung with concern.

-"The Governor is only trying to hide that there is no more food in the city. The province is suffering from famine, I'm sure of that. And the people are starting to realize it, too. They're sick of cheap entertainment, they want bread- and that's something even Galerius can't give them anymore. Now, all will suffer."

For a second, all the animals sat in dreary silence. It was only broken by the sound of Scar's snort of disregard.

Not sharing the bear's concerns, or at least not wanting to, he decided to occupy himself with getting the fleas out of his fur. But as he did that, he felt something which disturbed his peace even more that the biting parasites.

He suddenly felt a stench so fetid that it caused the bear meat in his stomach to want to make a fast exit. Repulsed, he sniffed around, fearing that it was him who smelled that bad…

… but that was not the case. Scar only discovered the origin of the putrid scent when he took a closer look around the pens, and found Burns lying on his side, moaning in fever.

The lion stood up, wishing to examine the wounded tiger to whose condition he did not give much attention for some time now. But as he walked over to his cell, he froze. Upon seeing Burns from up close, his paws started to shake, and refused to carry him any further.

He remembered this dreadful smell. And when he did, the image of the dead corpse of his mother flashed in his mind. Queen Uru laid in a puddle of her own blood, her heart pierced by the tusk of an elephant after a tragic hunting accident, many years ago.

The stench was that of rotting flesh and death. But even though Burns' body was already decomposing, the tiger was still alive. He mouthed unintelligible words as flies buzzed around him. Terrified though he was, Scar could not take his eyes off the black gaping holes of the tiger's injuries, which already had tiny white maggots crawling out of them.

-"He's as good as dead," – Scar heard Zidi's completely casual voice behind his back, which made him flinch.

Finally turning away from the living carcass in repulsion, he took a step back, clenching his teeth as the gruesome sight made him emit an audible groan.

He noticed that the only animals besides him who were at all concerned with their cell mate's imminent death were Mufasa and Pardus. They too continued to look at the suffering tiger with pity. Noticing that, Ursus sat with his back by the wall, and went on with his frigid commentary.

-"See? I told you not to get too attached to anyone. We are just claws and fangs to these humans. If either of those stop working, you're done."

Nobody was really interested in arguing with the bear right now, but Scar felt too disgusted to sleep or do anything else. Instead, he just sat there by the lionesses, trying desperately to get the haunting memory of his dead mother out of his mind.

It was already late at night when the beasts saw the doors opening. In came one of the slaves, who unfortunately was not there to feed them. The man stood before Burns' call door with his hands on his hips, shaking his head.

And then he did something that Scar found completely astounding. Namely, he took a key out of his satchel, and boldly opened the metal door without restraining the tiger inside in any way.

-"What is he doing?" – Scar heard his brother say as Mufasa observed the scene no less astonished than him.

-"Setting him free," – Ursus responded somberly.

It seemed impossible, and it was. It took the lion brothers a moment to figure out what the bear actually had in mind. They both realized it when they saw the sorrowful look in the green eyes of Pardus.

The panther stood by the bars, as close as possible, observing in dismay as the slave came up to his fellow inhabitant of India. At this point, Burns didn't even defend himself. The man reached to his side, and pulled out a short pointy dagger.

 _At least he isn't going to have to rot forever in this dungeon…_ \- Scar thought to himself.

Pardus and Burns' eyes met, and it appeared that the tiger was aware of his fate. Noticing that the panther was soundlessly delivering his final goodbye, the dying animal strained himself to smile for the last time.

-"How'd it go…?" – he whispered faintly. – " _It is now time to depart, I to die and you to go on living… But which of us goes to a better thing… is unclear._ "

The fact that he was repeating Ursus' words proved to Scar that Burns was fully conscious during his whole agony. That realization made him shudder. He promised himself that he would not die this way, no matter what he would have to do to prevent it. Even if it meant slaying all the humans and beasts of Carthage.

Acting as if he was performing a routine action, the human then thrust his blade into Burns' heart. The tiger didn't even make a sound before he was gone. His blood flowed in a thin stream down a drain placed in the middle of the cell. The slave went to get a few of his colleagues, and together the men loaded the tiger's lifeless body on a wheelbarrow. The doors shut behind their backs, and that was the last time the animals ever saw Burns.

The atmosphere in the pens became akin to that at a funeral afterwards. The lionesses went to sleep, and Scar continued to just sit there with a bitter feeling in his stomach.

The situation got even worse when, right around midnight, the humans returned, throwing into the cells scraps of something that everyone soon recognized to be putrid tiger meat.

Just like his brother and the mourning black panther, Scar refused to touch the food. Although unlike Mufasa, he also forbade the lionesses from eating his portion.

Scar was only able to finally fall asleep hours later, having spent a long time observing as his brother meticulously cleaned his own wounds in order to prevent infection. Yet his sleep was shallow, uneasy, and provided little rest.

He was once again roused back to consciousness by the sound of someone speaking. Only this time, these were not the humans crying out in the arena. It was a sound of someone speaking to him within the same chamber.

 _Usiue._

The word came from the midst of darkness, and when Scar opened his eyes after hearing it, he could not locate the origin of the sound. As he turned his head in desperation, he realized that he started hyperventilating.

Then, he heard the voice again.

 _Usiue._

Hearing it more clearly, he was able to finally pinpoint the location from where the sound came. Quickly looking that way, he saw two green lights burning in the middle of the night.

Others had told him many times that the glow of his own eyes was eery. Yet nothing could compare to the sight of the piercing stare of Pardus.

Realizing that the one speaking to him was another living being, and not some specter, Scar breathed with relief, but only a little. As he stood up to face the black panther, one thing continued to bother him.

-"What did you say to me?" – the lion asked the mysterious beast, greatly suspicious.

After all, all this time it seemed that Pardus was a mute. But the fact that he spoke was not as shocking as _what_ he said. Pardus, who was not even born in Africa, addressed Scar in his own language.

And the word which he spoke meant 'do not kill'.

Greatly disturbed by that fact, Scar stood before the panther, waiting for an answer. Still, Pardus acted as if once again he forgot how to communicate. The lion was almost about to scold him for that, and demand an explanation…

… when, suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine.

A strange rustle reached his ears from outside, and Scar became immediately conscious that they were not the only ones awake. When he turned toward Pardus again, the panther nodded at him, as if prompting him to investigate.

Unsure of what he would encounter there, Scar crept toward the window.

Looking through the hole in the wall, he noticed a small animal sniffing about. But as soon as the creature saw him, it turned the other way, ready to make a run for it.

But Scar recognized this animal. And he would not miss the opportunity he was suddenly given.

-" _Wait!_ " – he called at the receding canid, making it stop in its tracks. – "Your name is Cinis, isn't it?"

The fox looked his way, narrowing his eyes.

-"Yeah. So?" – he answered, unsure whether he should run or not.

Scar squeezed his snout through the bars even more.

-"I know you came here following the scent of the meat. Come closer. I've got exactly what you're looking for."

Seeing that Cinis was still reluctant to approach an unknown lion, Scar went away from the window, quickly returning with a scrap of tiger meat in his jaws. The fox's eyes immediately lit up.

-"Hey. Give that! That looks really scrumptious!" – he exclaimed.

Judging by Cinis' gaunt appearance, Scar could easily estimate that the fox was starving. But even in spite of that, he still remained in his spot.

-"You'll get the meat after you answer my question," – the lion continued his negotiations, waving the meat in front of Cinis' eyes.

Though shaking in anticipation, the other animal remained obstinate.

-"No. Give it to me first. Then you can ask. Deal?"

Holding the hungry fox in uncertainty for a few more moments, Scar finally tossed the food to him. Cinis pounced at it as if he hadn't eaten in days.

-"Now for your part of the bargain," – Scar continued, promising himself that he would dedicate his life to finding a way to retaliate if the fox decided to double-cross him. – "I want to know the truth. Exactly about what Ursus had asked you a couple of nights ago. Is there a shortage of food in the city? Is Carthage suffering from a famine?"

Lifting his face up from the meat, Cinis swallowed his last bite, gazing Scar straight in the eyes.

-"Look at me. Even though I'm all skin and bones at this point, I have to be extra careful not to get eaten myself. This is why I only dare to come here at night. The humans are turning savage. Haven't you heard about the riots? They say it's all because of the plague. In Rome, five thousand people are rumored to die every day. Mostly slaves. And if there's no slaves, there's no one to work the fields. No crops. No bread. Famine."

 _So the bear was right -_ Scar said in his heart grimly, the fate of Burns crossing his mind as he beheld Cinis finishing to devour the tiger's flesh. - _Is this also when all of us suffer?_

After he was done with his meal, the fox promptly departed, vanishing among the shadows. Scar was left alone with his dark thought, and with Pardus continuing to stare at him, as if delivering some mysterious, soundless instruction.

The panther understood a lot, Scar realized. But how much exactly, he still kept secret. _Usiue..._ What was that even supposed to mean?

* * *

 **AN: The plague I mention in this chapter, called the Plague of Cyprian, in another historical event. It lasted until the year 262 AD, and was the cause of widespread food shortages all throughout the Empire.**

 **The words quoted by both Ursus and the dying Burns belong to the philosopher Socrates. He famously uttered them at the end of his trial, after having been sentenced to death by the people of Athens, in the year 399 BC.**

 **Remember that Burns' real name was Shaheed, which in Hindi means 'victim' or 'martyr'. So yeah, he was a gonner from the start. I mean, c'mon. This is a Roman amphitheater we're talking about. People are gonna die.**


	19. Superstitio Nova et Malefica

**AN: New Lion King 2019 trailers are out. And the characters look… just like normal animals. No anthropomorphism, no emotions… They're just animals that talk. Look at Sarabi and Nala, and try to tell them apart. What's the point? Did they want to just show off their CGI skills? If I wanted to see actual animals, I'd just go to a zoo!**

 **And now they're making a fwarking live-action Snow White and Little Mermaid… Oh Disney. How the mighty have fallen.**

 _ **Siiigh**_ **. Let's just go back to Carthage, shall we?**

* * *

 **CAPUT XIX – SUPERSTITIO NOVA ET MALEFICA** (A New and Malicious Superstition)

 _(Mufasa)_

He felt biting remorse for what he had become. For what the horrors of the arena had done to him. The son of the noble Ahadi, now reduced to savagery. But how else would he be able to survive, and ever return to his kingdom? The dilemma continued to make him live in anguish.

And then his brother called for all the animals' attention, revealing to them what he was able to learn from the greedy fox, Cinis. The whole Roman empire was indeed in the state of crisis. Now all of them knew the true reason for the whole unrest in Carthage, which Ursus assured them would only grow worse with time.

-"Say it plainly. Shall the humans eat us?" – Scar finally dared to ask the question which had been on everyone's mind for days.

The bear hesitated a while before answering, and finally said-

-"They might."

Mufasa then heard his brother sigh as he turned to him with an insincere smirk, and mockingly uttered-

-"Behold the Circle of Life!"

All settled for the night in bitter silence. Gazing into the darkness from his lonely corner, constantly feeling in the air the scent of Burns' blood which created a large puddle in the middle of the dead tiger's cell, Mufasa dreaded the thought of what those dear to him would construe of the low methods of survival which their king had to adopt. The ruthlessness which he always taught his son to avoid, now embodied in his actions as if he had always been that way, somehow.

Bearing the weight of his shame, he dared not raise his thoughts in prayer to his father, or to any other of the resplendent ancient Kings.

Mufasa knew he wouldn't sleep that night, and that the luxury of much-needed rest would not be given him. He had become useless as a king, but now it appeared he would also soon be useless as a fighter.

He wasn't even annoyed when he heard the doors opening. He had no peace in him to be disturbed, anyway. But the manner in which the late-night visitor slipped into the pens, caught his attention slightly. It appeared that the weak, malnourished human, who judging from the collar around his neck was a slave, was trying his best not to be heard, nor to disturb anyone.

Mufasa narrowed his eyes, observing as the man did all he could to remain as quiet as possible. Poking his head through the door, he took a look around carefully, trembling in fear. But the beasts inside the cages were not what he was afraid of.

Having made sure that no guards were present, the human beckoned at someone behind his back, and soon a whole bunch of other slaves, men and women, followed him inside, just as silent as their leader. The human pack presented a miserable appearance of paupers forced into a life of misery, which reminded Mufasa of the hyenas from his own land on one hand, and of something to which he himself could now strangely relate, on the other.

It appeared to be the start of some secret gathering.

Looking at the slaves intently, wondering why they were there, Mufasa heard a rustle in the dark- the sound of his brother, rolling over to the other side.

-"Oh, what in the bloody hell is it this time…" – the disgruntled lion mumbled.

-"Keep you peace and observe!" – Mufasa scolded him.

By the time the pack of slaves made their way to the back of the chamber, the other animals had awoken as well. The humans paid them no attention, however, and only from time to time one woman or the other would gaze their way, then promptly turn around to avoid eye contact.

The mysterious visitors did not utter a single word. They were waiting, and so were the animals, eager to know for what reason their rest was cut short at such a late hour. Finally, a knocking was heard, and the leader of the slaves approached the door carefully.

-"Ichthys" – a voice spoke from the other side.

The confused and drowsy Ursus translated the humans' speech for the rest of them.

-" _Fish?_ That doesn't make any sense. It must be some kind of a password."

Mufasa noticed that Pardus, who stood the closest, observed the whole situation especially intently. Hearing the correct password made a smile appear on the slave's face. He opened the door without fear, and the pens were suddenly bathed in light. The glow of a torch reflected from the panther's green eyes, and the feline bowed his head.

In came a man whose face was wrinkled with old age, his long beard falling freely upon the white fabric of his gown. His clean, neat clothing indicated that he was definitely not a slave, but rather a Roman citizen- one of those who would normally sit on the lower terraces of the amphitheater. And that made his presence even stranger.

Mufasa observed in awe as the old man was cordially greeted by the slaves' leader, as well as the poor band of wretches themselves. After quickly locking the door behind his back, he approached them with a smile on his face, and they gathered like children welcoming their father returning from a long journey. It was as if light entered the depths of this underground chamber along with him.

The beasts sat confused, and although they tried inquiring of Ursus about the meaning of this odd gathering, he was just as stunned by it as they. Only Pardus seemed to know what was going on, which was visible in the calm expression of his eyes as he sat near the bars of his cage, closely following all that these mysterious humans were doing.

The slaves encircled the old man, and began kissing his hands with tears in their eyes as he placed his hand atop their heads with a calm smile. That seemed to siphon the gloom and terror not only from their hearts, but from the very air within the beast pens. Somehow, even Mufasa felt safe in the presence of these completely non hostile humans, who were so much different than the tamers and the gladiators. Only Scar and his lionesses still could not be at peace, walking to and fro suspiciously.

The humans finally settled, making room as the old man stood in their midst, turned his face in the direction of the rising sun, lifted his hands high, and closed his eyes. The others soon followed his example.

They all stood in silent recollection for a while. And then they began to sing.

-"En eirene, tou Kyriou deithomen!" – intoned the old man, his voice deep and strong, expressing a strange power Mufasa would not suspect to find in such a frail creature.

His words reverberated through the blood-soaked air within the chamber, reflected from the damp, cold stones, cleansing them. It was like a thunder which shattered the despair which had found its dwelling place there, only much, much calmer. Mufasa had never heard anything like it in his life. The man's voice made his gathered followers' faces light up with some mysterious, inner radiance. It seemed that the plague, and the famine, and the beasts that surrounded them, and all the other tragedies and dangers of the world, did not matter anymore.

They responded in a joyous chant, and although it seemed that each man and woman was singing a different melody, their voices blended in a truly angelic harmony, fluctuating from a powerful wave of sound to a mere whisper.

-"Kyrie, eleison."

This sound, this mystic song of peace, had an affect even on the savage animals. Now, Mufasa saw that even Scar stood petrified, gazing at the humans in awe. But, what was even more staggering, the lion also felt calmness in his own heart. It's as if he had suddenly regained his hope, somehow. That the harmony of the slaves' chant had reintroduced harmony in his own heart. And that was a truly amazing feeling.

The old man, his arms still raised toward heaven, kept on chanting. Mufasa wanted to inquire of Ursus about what his words meant, but they were both far too enamored.

-"Yper tes anothen eirenes, kai tes soterias ton psychon ymon, tou Kyriou deithomen."

-"Kyrie, eleison," – responded the choir of slaves.

Their chanted dialogue went on for what was seemed like hours, during which Mufasa savored his soothing feeling of peace- something he had not felt since the day he was snatched away from his home in the Pridelands. He didn't want this feeling to end.

But end it did. And it was a very abrupt termination.

Preoccupied with the ritual, their souls elevated in mystic exaltation, the slaves had failed to notice the sound of footsteps outside. Only Pardus moved in order to give them a warning, but when he did, it was already too late.

The doors opened with a crash, breaking the gathered humans' melody mid-tune. Suddenly there was far more fire in the chamber, but in spite of that, the light seemed to have vanished like smoke on the wind.

Into the pens there suddenly fell a man, dressed in rags. He was probably one of the slaves, left outside in order to guard the door. As he collided with the stone floor, screaming in pain and creating a terrible racket, the animals bared their teeth and the slaves held their breath.

The old man tried to keep them calm as a dreadful sight appeared before their eyes- a whole squad of soldiers, fully armored and wielding swords. Swords which were pointed at the members of the secret gathering.

The peace was soon turned to chaos as the soldiers rushed into the cells, ready to capture the slaves and drag them away for what must have been considered as some terrible act of crime. The slaves immediately reacted with panic, and pleaded for mercy. The women's cries created a whole other choir now, which mixed with the angry snarls and roars of the beasts turned into such a cacophony of anguish that made Mufasa's heavy head ache all over again.

But he also felt sincerely sorry for those peaceful humans, who were now being mercilessly beaten by the soldiers and dragged who knows where. It reminded him of his own imprisonment- something he would not wish upon his worst enemy.

As the slaves' screams and the soldiers' brutality intensified, Mufasa knew he had to react. But there was nothing he could do, really. With great sorrow, he observed Pardus' desperate attempts to reach the soldier who was busy pulling at the old man's gown, although both of them were far beyond the black panther's reach.

Finally, he remembered what they have recently learned. And then he turned to the only one among them who still had the slightest chance to influence the humans.

-"Ursus!" – Mufasa roared at the bear, catching his attention.

The beast looked at him, confused.

-"What?" – he asked, walking over to the bars of his cage.

-"Do something!" – the lion threw him a vague request, not knowing what else to say.

The bear stood in consternation, grinding his fangs for a while. He had tried growling and banging at the doors of his cage, but it did not avail to anything. The soldiers were too preoccupied with trying to round up all the slaves like a flock of sheep for the slaughter…

But then, Ursus found another possible target. A man in a shiny metal helm, standing in the back of the chamber, shouting orders at his underlings.

The centurion.

Mufasa observed as Ursus walked over to the soldiers' commander, his face serious and determined. At first, the centurion paid him no heed. But when he noticed the huge bear gazing straight at him, his brow wrinkled, and the human became interested, refocusing his attention from the ongoing brawl.

Ursus gazed him straight in the eyes, and the man stood still, as if he felt that the best was doing this on purpose.

The bear exposed his sharp teeth, assuming an expression of terrible anger, and a demand which would not tolerate denial.

-"Leave this place," – he uttered.

Suddenly, the centurion gasped, taking a step back. His sword fell from his hand, and his face became completely pale.

-"Dii immortales!" – he shrieked, overcome by complete shock and paralyzing terror.

Mufasa himself also became completely flabbergasted, as it seemed that the human had not simply understood Ursus' demand, but also heeded it.

Trembling in fear, the centurion ran toward his unit, but this time, he prompted the soldiers to leave the slaves alone, and to get out of there as fast as possible.

-"Cessate!" – he yelled at his stupefied subordinates. – "Relinquite miseros! Abeamus!" *

At first, the soldiers were reluctant, having already tied up most of the slaves. But prompted by the centurion, they abandoned them, and ran off just as fast as they appeared.

Those who stayed behind were left in darkness, bruised and battered, but alive and free. At first, they stood in silence, shocked by what had just happened. It was as if they'd been awakened from a nightmare, and it took them some time to realize that they were now safe.

The first one to come to his senses was the old man. After helping some of his companions untie their bonds, he quickly began ordering everyone to disperse and hide. The slaves, realizing what had happened, were overjoyed, and almost started singing out of gratitude for being rescued. But their sober-minded leader cut those ill-timed celebrations short. Having made sure that all the slaves had left to hide again in the bowels of the amphitheater, he himself quickly vanished among the shadows. The doors were closed, and the animals were left alone yet again.

Mufasa immediately fixed his eyes at Ursus, doing exactly what the rest of his astonished jail mates did. The bear, however, looked just as surprised by the result of his actions as them.

Since no one said anything, Scar once again decided that it fell on him to express everyone else's thoughts. Walking over to the bars with his mouth agape, which wasn't a common sight as the lion was not someone who was easily impressed by anything, he asked-

-"What the hell did you do?"

Ursus stammered, gazing back at him in confusion.

-"What? Me? But… you all saw what happened, clawsnfangs! I didn't do anything!"

-"Like hell you didn't!" – Jo soon joined Scar in confronting the flabbergasted bear. – "The soldiers just up and left after you spoke to the centurion. He understood you!"

-"No, that's impossible!" – Ursus continued to strongly deny that assumption.

-"Yes he did! He did exactly what you told him!" – the young lioness insisted.

-"I wish you had ordered him to open our cages, instead!" – Zidi joined her daughter in ganging up on the bear. – " _And_ that you had done that, oh I don't know, _years ago_!"

-"I _can't_ communicate with the humans, you know damn well I can't!" – Ursus now became seriously agitated. – "Do you take me for a fool, clawsnfangs? Do you think I wouldn't free myself from this hole if I was able to do that?! What happened tonight was… I don't know _what_ that was."

Mufasa decided to step into their conversation in order to ease the tension a bit.

-"You may have not freed us, but you certainly helped those slaves," – he stated, changing the subject. – "If it weren't for you, the soldiers would have captured them all. But why did they do that? Who were these strange humans, anyway, and why did they meet here in secret, under cover of the night?"

Once again, Ursus was forced to hang his head in shame.

-"I… I'm afraid I do not know that."

-" _Hmph!_ So much for all your knowledge!" – Scar mocked him with his typical venom.

Mufasa wanted to scold his brother, but then decided to put that on account that Scar just like him, was probably simply exasperated with the uncertainty of their situation. No one could be sure of anything anymore, and especially not the cryptic actions of the humans.

But then, the answer did indeed arrive. Only that it came from a completely unexpected source.

The animals heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the cell which was closest to the door.

-"Those humans were Christians. Followers of the Anointed One, whom they call the Lord."

The heads of all the beasts now tilted toward Pardus. Engaged in their discussion, they totally forgot about the panther, who stood motionless in the middle of the cage from the moment the old man departed from the pens.

It took them all some time in order to make themselves believe that the words actually came from Pardus.

-"Well I'll be damned…" – muttered the astonished Zidi. – "The panther has spoken. And all this time, I thought you were a mute!"

-"All of us did!" – Mufasa confirmed, just as shocked as the lioness. He then approached the bars of his cage, but Pardus continued to stand there in silence, refusing to turn his way.

-"So it was no dream…" – Scar said to the dark feline, trying to force him to react. – "You did speak to me in my sleep. _Usiue_. What did you mean by that?"

Pardus turned toward the Pridelander and looked him in the eyes, as if he wanted to reaffirm his statement. Yet the panther remained speechless, as if he had used up the limit of words he could utter. That made everyone extra mad, and the animals became rather vocal in their attempts to entice him to say something again.

Their attempts were cut short by the sound of Ursus laughing, however.

-"Hahaha! Leave him alone, clawsnfangs! Our friend has said quite enough!"

-"What do you mean?" – Mufasa turned to him, curious.

-"It's easy!" – responded the bear. – "I believe that our chances of being eaten by the humans have just dropped radically. You see, I actually do know these people of whom Pardus speaks. The Christians are a religious sect which was started long ago in the East, in a backwater province called Judea. I never thought they were also present here in Carthage, but apparently they are."

-"And how is that significant?" – the unimpressed Zidi inquired.

-"How is the presence of some sect in the city supposed to help us?" – Scar followed up her question with his own. – "That doesn't seem to make much sense."

-"Oh, but it does!" – smiled the bear.

Then, he cleared his throat, stood up, and solemnly recited another one of his quotes.

-" _If the Tiber rises to the walls, if the Nile fails to rise and flood the fields, if the sky withholds its rain, if there is earthquake or famine or plague, straightway the cry arises: Christians to the lions!_ "

In spite of the bear's jolliness, his words caused Mufasa to have a bad feeling about this whole situation.

-"And who said that?" – he inquired.

-"Tertullian, one of their apologists. You see, clawsnfangs, being a Christian is illegal in the Roman empire, in spite of the fact that even some Roman citizens have accepted that faith. Like the old man we saw today. Usually they're left alone, but as soon as trouble begins… The Roman authorities have a perfect scapegoat to blame for all the evils of the world right under their noses."

-"But why is this particular group of humans hated so much?" – Mufasa asked again, still unable to understand.

-"Simple," – Ursus answered him. – "They are a secret organization. Nobody who isn't a member knows what they do. So what if they just sing pretty songs in the middle of the night? If no one hears them, you may as well accuse them of poisoning wells, and spreading pestilence. Like the one in Rome right now. Besides, they refer to their God, the Anointed One, as the Lord. Now that is a title which the Emperor likes to reserve for himself. So by their very existence, the Christians challenge the Emperor's authority. And this means… he'll get rid of them much sooner than he gets rid of us. Because, as you know by now, the punishment for treason over here is being... thrown to the beasts."

This revelation received mixed response from the animals in the pens. While Scar, Zidi, Jo and Ursus all rested easy, content with this new assurance of safety, both Mufasa and Pardus had a hard time to welcome a smile on their faces, knowing that their security might have to come at the cost of innocent life.

The stench of blood became noticeable within the pens yet again.

* * *

 **AN: A lot going on, ey? Seems that Pardus only speaks when it's absolutely necessary.**

 **The persecution of Christians in the Roman empire is another historical fact which I will not omit in this story. And it is also true that it were the followers of Christ ('the Anointed One' in Greek) who were blamed for Cyprian's Plague in the year 258 AD. The religion was called a 'new and malicious superstition' by the Roman historian Suetonius as early as the 1st century.**

 **The fate of these innocent people, who were spared for now, will force both Mufasa and Scar to make some decisions which will be both hard and influential in the future.**

 **The Christians of Carthage were mostly from the lower classes, and only few of them spoke Latin. This is why I presented their chants in ancient Greek, which was the common language in the Empire. This particular chant is a short fragment of the ancient Ektenia of Peace (you can look it up on the Tube). The translation is as follows:**

 **-In peace, let us pray to the Lord.**

 **-Lord, have mercy.**

 **-For peace from on high, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.**

 **-Lord, have mercy.**

 **The Roman centurion speaks Latin, and his words are these:**

 **-Oh immortal gods! Stop! Leave those wretches alone! Let's get out of here!**


	20. Christianos ad Leones

**AN: It's almost out, guys. Forgive me for not leaping for joy.**

 **I'll withhold my evaluations for now. You shall see what I think from how the story develops. Here we go with chapter 20. Thanks you for sticking around this long!**

 **Oh, and warning- this chapter is a particularly gory one.**

* * *

 **CAPUT XX – CHRISTIANOS AD LEONES** (Christians To The Lions)

 _(Mufasa)_

He thought he would get used to the hunger and anguish he felt daily, trapped in the tight enclosure of his cell. But he was wrong.

He tried hiding his weakness from his brother as much as he could for a while, but after enough time, he just didn't have the strength anymore. A king without a kingdom, shamed and broken. Memories of his lost family stripped him of his once powerful spirit, whereas undernourishment and the many wounds he sustained in the arena took their toll on his body. Waking up each morning, he could now see his ribs poking out more and more from under his skin.

In the other corner, Scar would always greet him with a jeering smirk, lounging at the side of his female consorts. They no longer spoke to one another, but that was nothing new. What was new, however, was the viciousness with which his brother would dispatch his victims- something that Mufasa was only able to partially observe during their upbringing in the Pridelands, but which grew in this unforgiving environment, growing into a true, furious lust for blood.

Mufasa had partially adopted that same viciousness. It was something that continued to sting his already aching conscience. Yet, as he would always remind himself, he only did that in order to survive, whereas Scar's appetite for killing went far beyond his already ravenous lust for food.

It was all so unjust. Even though justice was something he sought after all his life, he was now sure that he would find no justice here.

As the rays of the morning sun shone through the bars, a sight which no longer brought him any consolation, he bitterly gazed on all the strands of hair from his sickly mane which were now entangled with the decaying straw of his bed. In the corner of his eye, the image of his brother continued to haunt him. By now, Scar had completely abandoned grooming his own fur, a practice which had always been a part of his morning routine. Zidi and Jo took care of that for him, cleaning off all the remaining blood. The beast and his two fiendish allies, favorites of the masses, was flourishing.

Barely able to find enough will in himself to move, Mufasa turned his head to look at Ursus. The bear was standing upright by the window of his cage, carrying a mysterious smile, for some reason.

-"They're coming, clawsnfangs! They're coming!" – the animal said with a fair dose of enthusiasm.

-"Who?" – Scar asked him, stretching out a paw for Jo to lick, relaxing in her embrace.

Ursus chuckled.

-"Oh, you'll see. From what I gather, we shall all feast today, I assure you!"

Everybody became _very_ interested after what the bear had said. But before any of them were able to ask for details, the doors opened, and in came Grassus the Beastmaster accompanied by a whole slew of slaves. Without hesitation, throwing orders around, he had all the beasts led out into the arena.

This was rather unusual. Most of the time, only one or perhaps a few of them would fight, but never all at once. Mufasa knew that this meant that he would most likely have to kill again. And although he had been a hunter in his native land, being forced to murder for the amusement of others was something that turned his life into an ongoing drudgery.

Keeping toward the back, he followed the others down the narrow corridor. The beasts chatted in excitement, awaiting an easy competition, yet Mufasa could not help but feel bitter.

It was only by chance that he glanced toward Pardus, walking by his side in the dark, and noticed that the panther looked even more miserable than him, though Mufasa found that almost impossible. But looking into Pardus' eyes, he found in them a sense of sorrow as deep and wide as the sea. The feline barely dragged along, his head hung down low above the dirt beneath his paws.

-"You know something, don't you?" – Mufasa asked him. Still, the panther remained silent.

-"What is it you're hiding from us, Pardus?" – the lion finally couldn't help but ask. – "You understand more from all this chaos than you let on, I'm sure of it. Then why don't you speak? If you can help us in any way, do it!"

Eventually, the animal halted, lifting his head up to look Mufasa in the eyes. As the others laughed in the distance, entering the arena, Pardus shook his head, expressing a complete lack of optimism. His eyes were cold, and Mufasa could see in them a reflection of his own pain.

They slowly walked on, making their way through the gate which shut behind their backs. The crowds had already filled up the amphitheater to the last seat, and the air vibrated with the sounds of their screams and the howling of trumpets.

Ursus, Zidi, Jo and Scar raised their heads in a triumphant roar, greeting their devoted fans.

-"Isn't it too early for a celebration?" – Mufasa addressed them as he and Pardus stood by the others' side.

The smiles on the animals' faces immediately melted away, and they looked upon him with disdain.

-"Ugh. The pleasure of life is lost on you, isn't it?" – Scar blurted out, rolling his eyes. – "Do us all a favor and keep your grumbling to yourself. No one here wants to be as miserable as you, and that make-believe mute panther over there!"

He and Pardus shared a look of mutual disregard, but Mufasa stood in their midst.

-"I am only being rational, brother!" – the older lion insisted. – "What makes you feel so secure in this den of death? How do you know what the humans are about to let loose?"

-"Oh, the humans are rather predictable, usually…" – Zidi responded, swinging her tail carelessly.

-"That's true," – Ursus elaborated on her explanation, trying to calm Mufasa down. – "Look at the sun, clawsnfangs. If they're letting us out this early in the morning, it means that they're doing executions today. They probably rounded up a bunch of idiots who triggered riots in the city, and now they're sending them out into the arena as punishment. They call them the _damnati_. These poor bastards are usually unarmed, so the threat is minimal. As you probably understand, they're nor supposed to exit the arena alive. It's _us_ who're supposed to leave with full bellies!"

These words made everyone smile again, assuring Mufasa that his worries had no basis in reality.

-"Yeah. It's a win-win situation, so quit your fussin' and get ready for a feast!" – Jo threw a final remark at Mufasa and Pardus before everyone turned around, leaving the two felines in the midst of the arena.

The lion looked at the panther, and noticed that his demeanor remained grim.

-"Why am I still feeling this isn't going to end well?" – Mufasa inquired.

Pardus gazed at him as if he wanted to say- "you are about to find out".

Apparently knowing what was about to happen, Ursus and the lionesses led all of them to a huge door at the opposite side of the amphitheater. This was probably where the prisoners were to be released, Mufasa thought. As he was walking along, leaving his paw prints in the sand, he noticed the main galleria occupied by a man in white, who was surrounded by guards.

-"The governor is here," – he pointed the fact out to the others.

-"So?" – responded his brother, as the rest of the animals looked on in consternation.

-"Ursus told us he doesn't like the games. Why would he be present at an execution of some common criminals?"

Hearing those words caused the bear to laugh.

-"Huh-huh, you know a thing or two about ruling, don't you? I'm slowly starting to believe that you really were the king of that land you come from… Anyway, I would say that Galerius is present because he embodies justice. The people need to know that if they cross him, they'll end up exactly like those poor fellows which we are about to be introduced to."

-" _Justice?_ " – Mufasa asked, wrinkling his brow, his voice heavy with disgust. – "That is not…"

He was unable to finish, as his voice was soon outshouted by the roar of the trumpets.

Once again the animals saw their keeper, Grassus, addressing the people and delivering an introduction to what was about to happen. When the human stopped speaking, he turned toward the proconsul. Galerius remained silent for a while, allowing the tension to rise. He then stretched out his arm, and pointed an erect thumb at his throat- the sign of a death sentence.

The masses exploded with joy, quickly mimicking their ruler's gesture. Amongst the overwhelming noise, which made Mufasa's head spin, the beasts stood in eager anticipation. The arena guards brandished their spears, forming two rows which were to prevent any possible attempt of escape.

The doors opened with a loud crackle, kicking up a cloud of dust. From the other side, from the darkness, came a sound Mufasa had never heard before in his life.

 _What… -_ he thought confused, as his senses continued to deliver contradictory information.

All the animals now stood in total confusion, as what came from the inside of the building did not seem to be the prisoners they all anticipated to see. It was then that Mufasa knew that his fears were not totally irrational, after all.

From the shadows, wailing, came a chaotic herd of bipedal hairy creatures that didn't really resemble anything, apart from the fact that they all looked hideous and stank like a barn. They didn't seem armed, and the guards were forced to push the terrified and reluctant mob into the arena with the use of whips and sticks. When they finally stood on the sand, and the doors were shut behind them, they banded up together, crying miserably, putting the beasts in a state of paralysis.

-"What are these… animals?" – Jo inquired, unsure if she should attack or not.

-"They sure do smell like animals… but why are they walking on two legs?" – said Ursus, grimacing as he scratched his furry head.

-"Oh, whatever. Let's come a bit closer and find out, shall we?" – Scar encouraged them, baring his sharp fangs in a wicked grin. He was visibly hungry.

The others were almost ready to follow him, but then they heard something that made them hesitate.

Once again, it was Pardus' voice. Deciding to finally speak, the panther gazed straight at Scar, and said:

-"Usiue!"

-" _You shall not kill?_ " – Mufasa repeated the African word so that the others could understand, himself completely astonished. He no longer understood anything from the scene that was unraveling before his eyes.

Pardus and Scar looked at one another again. The panther now bore an expression of warning an staunch opposition. The lion, on the other hand, was furious.

-"You _fool!_ " – Scar spat at him, his eyes blood-shot with hatred.

They looked like they would attack one another, if it weren't for Ursus. Attracting everyone's attention, the bear pointed at the bunch of creatures which still stood there before them, in complete shock.

-"Look, clawsnfangs!"

Mufasa also turned his head, and noticed that the strange animals' incoherent cries of terror were now more unison. After a while, they eased in their intensity, and assumed a sort of melody. Soon enough, all the beast were able to recognize that these creatures started singing.

-"Egeire, o katheudon, kai anasta ek ton nekron, kai epiphausei soi o Christos!" *****

Their melody flowed on, surprisingly calm. No one cried anymore.

-"These are no animals!" – Ursus finally realized the astonishing truth.

-"The Christians…" – Mufasa gasped under his breath, recognizing the familiar melody of their chanted prayer. – "So the guards did indeed capture them!"

-"Someone wrapped them up in pelts, and smeared them with animal blood," – the bear revealed to the others after taking a closer look. – "It's to entice us to attack!"

-"Well, they won't have to ask twice!" – Zidi exclaimed with a smile, preparing her assault together with Jo and Scar.

-" _Wait!_ " – the anxious Mufasa called upon them, still trying to prevent the slaughter which now seemed inevitable. – "These are not criminals! These creatures are innocent, they have no means to defend themselves!"

He could still remember the peaceful nocturnal meeting, which did not end in a tragedy only thanks to Ursus' intervention. Now, however, all of that seemed to have been in vain.

Only Scar bothered to heed that final protest. Turning around, he glared toward Pardus and Mufasa- the only ones who opposed this ordeal.

The black maned lion now exhibited a disgusting smirk. Pacing slowly, he faced his brother, cocky and confident as he had been back in the Pridelands. Or perhaps even more so.

-"What's this I see in you, Mufasa?" – he asked, his voice silky-smooth. – "Weakness? Yes, that's what it is, isn't it? A trait that had never before been seen in the mighty king of the Pridelands…"

-"Scar, this is pure cruelty!" – the older lion gasped, begging him to stop. Yet the dark lion would not listen.

-"Cruelty?" – Scar wondered silently, looking toward the defenseless band of humans. – "All I see is free meat. Come along, brother! Stop pretending you feel sorry for these apes. The meal's on me today."

And so, with another smile, he went, turning his back at the devastated Mufasa.

This was wrong. He knew that even without Pardus warning them. He saw that in the eyes of the humans standing before them, who were now being surrounded by a band of hungry beasts. Still, their tranquility in face of certain death seemed staggering. Even when Scar stood but a yard away, they continued to sing, hopefully directing their eyes toward heaven.

The dark lion stood forth ahead of the others, assuming the role of their leader. Eyeing the defenseless prey, he searched for a first target.

-"Give in to your instincts…" – Mufasa heard his brother say. – "The weak ones are there to justify the strong."

A woman in the front row desperately tried to shelter herself, and a man by her side protected her with his own body. It only took a closer look for Mufasa to realize, why.

The woman clasped a bundle of fur, from which there came a sound of crying. To his shock, the lion realized that it was her baby. Desperate and terrified, the woman quivered behind her protector's back, doing what she could to shield her offspring from the beasts.

Now Mufasa beheld the true extent of his brother's blood-lust. Pouncing with all the strength he had in his slick limbs, Scar attacked the man in the front with a frightening roar. Piercing the pelts which covered the human's body with his claws, he made him scream in pain.

Being taller than the man, Scar was able to reach the woman's bundle, and tear it out of her grasp with his teeth. Jerking his head, he then threw it aside. It was a morsel too small to pay it any attention.

The woman cried out in horror, but her shouts were dimmed by the sudden, violent cheers of the crowd which erupted as soon as the ragged bundle collided with the ground many yards away. Though most of the Christians continued to sing, they could no longer be heard among the racket.

Mufasa could feel his heart pound, and he had trouble breathing. His paws refused to carry him one step forward. Instead, he observed the bloodbath from afar.

Scar brought his first victim down easily by biting the man's leg. The others considered that a sign to join him, having made sure that the humans would not retaliate. More screams of terror were soon heard, as human flesh was torn by the fangs of lions, and bones broken by the impact of bear claws.

At this point, a few of the humans lost heart, attempting to flee from the group. Their way of escape was soon barred by armed guards. Zidi and Jo rushed into pursuit, and their fangs were soon buried in the fugitives' windpipes. They dragged the carcasses around the arena, making the sand soak up a river of blood, sending the spectators into a state of frenzy.

The Christians had indeed been blamed for all the evils of the world, Mufasa realized. But they were _innocent!_ They did not deserve any of this!

He kept repeating this to himself as the scent of blood reached his nostrils, awaking within him a ravenous hunger. He wanted to participate in the feast badly… but somewhere inside, he knew he had to resist.

His violent inner struggle making him growl in anger and agony, Mufasa turned his eyes away from the slaughter, as he felt he was starting to lose his mind again. He sought consolation in Pardus, but as he directed his sight at the panther, he noticed that the other feline was also in trouble.

Apparently, the human guards did not appreciate their inaction. Attempting to force the lion and the panther to attack the Christians, they rushed in with their whips and sticks. By the time Mufasa was able to reach his companion's side, Pardus' black fur was already stained with blood, even though the animal thought off the guards fiercely.

Directing all of his anger at the guards now, Mufasa let out a vicious roar. The few guards who were trying to keep Pardus at bay hesitated… but then were immediately joined by a whole bunch of others. And these carried spears with them.

As the sharp metal tips of the weapons pierced his skin, Mufasa reacted with even more anger. The pain was making the adrenaline in his blood take over. Swinging his mighty paw, he made the guards step back… Yet the others were already there to help their comrades, and a whole avalanche of blows fell upon the lion's back.

His sight became blurry, and his paws started to give in. He could already see the soldiers closing in on him, pointing their spears straight at his heart.

 _Great Kings… is this the end?_

Unlike the Christians, the armed guards were a seemingly unconquerable enemy. Yet they too were prone to error in battle, and their error was to forget that Mufasa had an ally in this struggle. As Pardus charged at the guards from the side, a gasp of shock could be heard. The humans' formation fell like a house of cards, and their weapons slipped out of their grasp. Though most of them managed to flee from the feline's claws and fangs, the one who was closest was not so lucky.

Thus, Pardus also spilled blood in the arena that day. But what made it so much different was the fact that this blood was not innocent.

It was peculiar to watch the pale faces of the guards as they observed one of their comrades being killed, although they seemed completely accustomed to the sight of the blood of others. When Mufasa made sure that Pardus' victim finally ceased breathing, he too concluded that now the time for them to feed has also come.

The twist ending of the gory spectacle caused the crowds to let out a final gasp of shock, which was followed by a round of applause. After such a show, the beast, the main actors, were allowed to claim their reward.

The chanting and the screams had died out completely. After hours of agony, all of the victims were now at rest. Scar, Zidi, Jo and Ursus lounged about, gorging themselves on the most savory scraps of meat they could find. Mufasa and Pardus were only able to barely partake of the guard's body, as his colleagues, having awaken from their initial shock, quickly snatched it from them and dragged the carcass away.

Mufasa lay on the blood-soaked sand panting, aching both physically and internally. He could not remember being this tired ever before. The reason for that was not the struggle, as he had fought many times in his past, but the crushing sense of injustice weighing down on him. He knew they would force them to do this again… But would he be able to resist, just as he had today, even at the cost of his life? Or would he give in to his beastly lust for blood, just like his brother?

In bitter sadness, he gazed toward Scar. The dark lion, unrecognizable because of all the gore which stained his fur and soaked into his mane, was just finishing his meal, sucking the marrow out of a human femur he had crushed in between his teeth.

Noticing his brother looking at him, Scar stood up, stretching lazily. Stepping over the scattered corpses, he made his way to Mufasa's side.

As the younger sibling stood over the older one, blood dripping from his chin, they looked one another in the eyes. While Scar could clearly see the emotions showing in his brother's expression, Mufasa had a hard time figuring out what was going on in the dark lion's mind. Could he really be bereft of a conscience?

-"What have you become?" – Mufasa asked silently, frowning in dismay.

His brother snorted.

-"Puh. As if I am the only one who has spilled blood today. Look at yourself!"

Mufasa remembered that his own muzzle was also completely red.

-"When you live with apes, it's hard to be clean," – Scar commented coldly. – "You should have eaten more when you had the chance. The feast is now over."

He then went past him, ending the conversation. Looking back, Mufasa noticed that the guards were indeed rounding all the beasts up, leading them back to the pens, as the slaves came with carts to clean the bodies off the arena. Lifting himself up heavily, he followed the ever-silent Pardus back to their cage.

With his feeling of bitterness gnawing inside, the lion lied down on the cold stone with his face turned toward the wall, trying to fall asleep. But as the other animals began to snore around him, resting with their bellies full, he remained awake, feeling as if the Old King themselves had abandoned him.

But before nightfall, all the animals were awakened again by a new horror- one even the hardened lionesses observed unsettled through the narrow windows of their cell.

Not all of the Christians have been thrown to the beasts that day. It turned out that those who did, were the lucky ones. The others were led out at dusk, and tied to wooden crosses which had been put up around the arena. While this happened, they were still able to sing. But when the guards covered their bodies in pitch and set them ablaze, all that could be heard in the amphitheater were the shouts of agony.

The Romans held lewd theatrical performances in the light of these gruesome torches all throughout the night, which the animals looked upon in dead silence. The scent of burning pitch, roasted flesh and melted fat was enough to deprive them of all will to converse.

Only before dawn was Mufasa finally able to overcome his shock enough to be able to ask Ursus a question.

-"Why do they do this?" – the lion mumbled, his voice overstrung with horror and disgust.

The bear remained silent for a while, and then sighed.

-"I told you already. The Christians undermine the authority of the Emperor. And, as Tacitus said, lust of absolute power is more… _burning_ … than all the passions. Your brother seems to understand this, so why don't you?"

Reacting to that, Mufasa hit the ground with his paw angrily.

-"This human Empire… it's some sort of an abomination, built on terror and bloodshed!"

-"Hm-hm, you may be right there, clawsnfangs…" – Ursus chuckled, yet without any real humor. – "To tell you the truth, I much rather have you as our king than any of those butchers over in Rome. What you are saying is not irrational. It's just… impractical. The Christians have only themselves to blame. After all, why are they so persistent? And if they want to be free, they should fight for their rights, which they stubbornly refuse to do. For as Tacitus said, to abandon your shield is the basest of crimes…"

-"Oh shut up!" – Mufasa suddenly roared, making all heads in the pens suddenly turn his way. – "I've had enough of your damn quotations!"

Without waiting for anyone's reaction, the lion curled up in a ball on his bed of rotten hay, turning toward the wall.

* * *

 **AN:**

 *** "Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee" (Ephesians 5, 14; Greek)**


	21. Non Occides

**AN: Oh boy oh boy. So have you seen it? Did you like it?**

 **As I said before, you can read my reaction from the plot of the story. And things are about to get serious.**

 **(A clarification. To be completely honest guys, the seriousness of this story has exceeded** _ **far**_ **beyond my displeasure with Disney, in case you haven't noticed. But that's just how I role. Never and nowhere have I ever presumed to call myself normal. But if you read my crap, you should know this by now, right?)**

* * *

 **CAPUT XXI – NON OCCIDES** (Thou Shall Not Kill)

 _(Scar)_

Half of the Roman Empire was dying of starvation. But not him. His belly was fuller than back at home right now.

In spite of his initial reservations, he felt rather good, taking the circumstances. He had avenged himself on the humans. He gained the applause of the crowd. And he had gained… _other_ benefits, as well.

He held his head against Zidi's stomach, which was the softest thing in the whole damn cell. Her daughter Jo was right there by him, too, slowly licking the coagulated blood off the fur on his shoulder. A very relaxing feeling taking the dreary reality of the arena.

Once again he had outsmarted them all, as he always had. Tomorrow didn't matter. And as for yesterday, the only thing that mattered were the things he himself considered good.

-"My first kill must have been soon after I became leader of the Lion Guard," – Scar went on with his monologue, speaking to the lionesses who lounged by his side. – "I'm not counting the prey animals, obviously. It was a male leopard, if I recall correctly, a trespasser. I was hunting with my four companions when I encountered him with his mate, a Pridelander, just beyond the border of the kingdom. He attacked one of my colleagues, which was not a very prudent thing to do."

-"So what happened to him?" – inquired Zidi drowsily, tilting her head to look at her consort's face.

-"I shattered his skull. You'd have loved it, darling," – he murmured smiling as he looked her in the eyes.

-"Hm, is that so?" – the lioness mumbled back with staged disbelief. – "And how did you manage to do that? Leopard skulls are pretty tough to crack, as far as I know."

Those words made him laugh out loud.

-"Huh-huh. Do you doubt my aptitude? Have you not seen me perform?"

The female responded with a playful grin, saying:

-"I have. But you didn't really answer my question, did you?"

Scar decided to leave Zidi in the dark on that one. Instead of responding, he stretched himself out even more, placing his head against the young Jo this time.

Once again, he gazed toward his brother with a sense of triumph. After all, over here, it was almost as if he, and not Mufasa, was the king. The older lion had failed time and time again to adapt to their difficult situation, turning into a meager bag of bones lying in the corner, exposed to the latter's mockery.

Scar continued to charm his lionesses with his stories about him being the leader of the Lion Guard, as if his viciousness in the arena wasn't enough to impress them already. He could now walk around the cell with his head lifted proudly, feeling himself the alpha male, no longer forced to live in anyone's shadow. He had finally earned his lion's share, though he never suspected it would be at a place like this.

While his brother basked in the glory he obtained in such a hideous manner, Mufasa came close to reminding him that the victims he had slain were totally defenseless. But being in no state of mind for intellectually challenging arguments, he relented. Instead, he continued to manifest his disgust by remaining turned toward the wall, and trying to cover his ears so that he wouldn't have to hear Scar's incessant boastful banter.

Seeing the disgruntled, beat-up pile of ragged fur in the corner was a sight so delightful to him that it made him smile delicately. It made all of this- the kidnapping, the journey through the desert, the imprisonment, the danger of death in the amphitheater- worth it.

With a deep, serene breath, he went on with his story.

-"Yes, my times in the Lion Guard were quite fun. Every day brought with it danger and excitement, similar to here. I guess that now I have a chance to use all the skills which I acquired back then in order to…"

Suddenly, he had to stop mid-sentence, as everyone suddenly looked toward the door. The sound of a key moving in the lock heralded the beginning of the day's Games, and the termination of their time of leisure.

-"Oh, bloody hell!" – the vexed lion mumbled under his nose.

-"Well, guess it's back to work," – said Jo. Lifting herself up suddenly, the young lioness almost made Scar's head bang against the pavement. – "Oh. Sorry about that."

Smiling, she gave him a lick on the cheek. Still narrowing his eyes at her, Scar rubbed the spot which her tongue had just touched with his paw, grumbling.

In the meantime, Zidi also stood up and began to stretch.

-"It appears we're up first," - stated the experienced female, seeing that the slaves came up to the lion cage.

Scar sat up, silently observing what would happen. These moments of anticipation, when he still did not know whether or not he would have to fight that day, still caused him to feel greatly uncomfortable. His relaxed mood was now gone without a trace.

He was greatly surprised, however, when the keepers entered the cage, and started carefully attaching grapnels to the collars of both Zidi and Jo, who submitted to the treatment surprisingly obediently.

Now, in spite of everything, Scar and Mufasa looked at one another suspiciously.

-"What are you doing?" – asked the startled younger lion.

The females looked at him as if he were some sort of a joker.

-"What?" – they both asked. – "What's it look like?"

-"Where are they taking you?" – Scar raised his voice, seeing how the lionesses followed the humans out of the pen without any resistance.

-"Puh. Beats me, I don't know," – Jo blurted out nonchalantly.

-"Every once in a while, they take us away to file our claws and stuff," – her mother explained, waving her tail around as she followed the slave who led her like a poodle on a leash.

-"Are you simply going to… drift on, just like that? Without even showing your teeth?" – the lion continued with his mouth agape. Then, he jumped over to the bars with a growl, but the humans had already locked the cage.

-"See you later, tough guy!" – Zidi turned to him for the final time with a smile. The doors were closed, and everything went silent.

Quite stupefied, Scar looked at everyone around. But the other beasts seemed way less concerned with Zidi and Jo being taken away than him.

-"So disgraceful!" – the lion announced, sitting in his corner alone. Mufasa sent him a hateful glare. And, of course, Pardus was also piercing him with the stare of his green eyes, as usual.

-"Don't you have something else to look at?" – he burst out angrily at both of them.

Scar decided to lie down, but as soon as his belly touched the floor, the doors were opened again. This time, it was Grassus who barged in along with his bodyguards, signifying that more animals were about to be sent into the arena.

The lion's throat became extremely dry. And when the Beastmaster pointed at him with his stick, and gave the slaves the order, he felt a slight shiver shaking him up.

-"Undoubtedly… they've got some more prisoners that need to be slain?" – he mumbled, not too convinced if that would indeed be the case.

The gate opened behind his back with a screech, and the slaves started poking him with his long poles.

-" _What?!_ Do you want me to go out there… by myself?!" – Scar whined as his pupils grew extremely large.

Looking around, he saw no solace from any direction. His female companions weren't there anymore. Of course, he wasn't a fool to expect any support from his brother… But Pardus' gruesome look seemed to lacerate his very soul.

-" _Quit staring at me!_ " – he finally lost his nerve out of anger and uncertainty. The slaves were poking him really hard now.

Though reluctant and quite insecure, he had no choice but to get up and start walking. He was forced to strain himself in order to maintain a confident outward composure, much of which melted away after he heard the barred gate close behind his back after he entered the tunnel leading up toward the arena.

Mufasa gazed at the closing barrier from the other side, unsure of what he felt anymore. He himself was safe, yet was that any real consolation? What new cruelties would the humans have his brother commit that day?

His meditations were cut short when he heard Pardus speak again. With a grim, overstrung tone, still looking at the closed gate, as if speaking to himself, the panther whispered-

-"He ought not have done that."

Surprised by another locution from the mysterious animal, Mufasa lifted himself up heavily, and came closer in order to address him.

-"Done what?" – he asked, meditating on what Pardus may have had in mind. – "Kill the Christians?"

For a few moments, the panther continued staring in the other direction. Only afterwards did he turn his head, looking at Mufasa sadly. He nodded.

The older lion had been sure that Pardus knew something more about this eerie situation. And since the panther finally decided to open up, Mufasa insisted on inquiring.

-"What is so special about them?"

-"They are favored. Protected…" – Pardus responded as if he didn't completely understand it himself.

-"By whom?" – Mufasa asked again, as the first answer did not really tell him much.

The panther went mute again, and his interlocutor thought that the conversation was over. But then, hanging his head, Pardus whispered-

-"Your brother will soon find out."

It was at this moment that Mufasa noticed that Ursus was looking his way.

-"Aren't you interested in the show, clawsnfangs?" – the bear said, pointing at the window with a tilt of his head.

Mufasa quickly ran over to the other side of his cell, stood up on his hind legs, and poked his head through the bars.

Scar was already within the sandy circle, swinging his tail nervously, looking around. Everything was as usual- the crowd, the trumpets… Grassus was in the middle of announcing to the humans what was about to happen. The lion wished he could understand his language.

Pacing carefully, Scar made his way to the gate from which the defenseless prisoners usually came out to face their doom. He was hoping that he would see them again, and not some other monstrosity. Being alone, something he had always been comfortable with, was no help at all this time.

He felt his pressure rising. As soon as Grassus stopped speaking and the instruments roared yet again, he took a step back. No longer did the cheering of the mob sound like a song of praise dedicated to him.

He didn't know what it sounded like anymore.

Mercilessly slowly, the heavy wooden gate was lifted. Scar sniffed the air, attempting to catch the scent of humans, but his head was spinning too much for that to be possible.

When the doors stood open, the rays of the sun illuminated the gaping passage, the dust subsided…

… and Scar breathed with relief.

The creatures that went out to face him were not humans. They were lions.

But that was okay, as those lions were Zidi and Jo.

Feeling all of his irrational tension vanishing instantly, Scar bared his fangs in a big grin observing as his female companions slowly paced his way, stepping gracefully with their fur freshly groomed and their claws neatly filed, sending him his welcoming smiles as they did so.

-"Ah, my friends!" – he said cheerfully, walking over to meet them. – "So, it appears we will be fighting side by side today! I'm simply dying to know who shall be our opponent on this fine morning…"

As they faced him, the lionesses continued to smile. However, Scar had a strange feeling that there was something off about their grin…

-"He doesn't get it," – Jo suddenly addressed her mother, speaking in a very sarcastic tone.

-"Hmph. Of course he doesn't. Old idiot still thinks we're his friends. He's not been paying much attention, apparently."

-"Well, you gotta admit he always prefers to babble than to listen…"

Witnessing this strange exchange of words made Scar's brow wrinkle very intensively.

-"What did you say?" – the words which came out of his mouth were much weaker than he intended them to be.

Zidi and Jo's looks now became quite nasty, their laughter venomous. Step by step, they made their way toward the male. And for each step forward, he would take a step back.

-"You have got to be joking…" – Scar mumbled incoherently, still failing to believe in what was unraveling before his very eyes.

-"You're dying to know who our opponent will be, huh?" – Zidi said to him, almost bursting out laughing.

-"It's _you,_ moron!" – Jo directly dispelled his doubts. – "You're gonna be the one doing all the dying today, so get ready! The humans are bored with us slaughtering innocents. They want a real fight, so let's give them a fight!"

He now realized that, as unbelievable as it was, he had been a fool all this time. He thought he had charmed the females and brought them over to his side. But now it became evident that, with the power of soft fur and pheromones, he had actually himself been completely bewitched.

 _Damn, lying whores…_

He was almost ready to say those words aloud, expressing to the lionesses how furious he was with their betrayal. But when Jo pounced at him with a vicious snarl, he was forced to hold his tongue, and retreat.

Pinned against the wall, he stood confused, fixing his eyes at his two approaching female foes, unsure of what to do now.

And then, he heard his brother's voice.

-"Scar!" – Mufasa called him from the window of their cell. But the sight of his face only made him more angry.

-"Leave me alone!" – Scar growled back, clenching his fangs as he turned his face away. – "I can fight my own fights!"

-"No, you can't…" – the older lion responded, looking in the same direction as his brother- at the two strong, battle-hardened lionesses, which were getting closer and closer with every passing second.

-"Yes, I CAN!" – the sound of Scar's roar echoed above the arena.

The lionesses had him cornered, and so they took their sweet time.

-"We warned you that we don't start any friendships here…" – Zidi said to him, circling around as if he were a wounded zebra.

-"You're not as smart as you think," – her daughter added, looking at her sharp claws.

-"There are others in the world who'll do anything in order to survive. Whether it's lying, cheating… or killing," – the older female went on, and the sound of her voice made Scar's stomach churn.

-"But don't worry!" – Jo exclaimed with disgusting, malicious joy. – "Your brother's the heir. You're just the spare!"

Now that implication was far too much for him.

He attacked blindly, not really thinking his assault through. But the lionesses were swift. Dodging skillfully, they stood aside, mocking him.

He was larger than them, he kept repeating that to himself. He had eaten well throughout the past few days. His injuries had healed. He could win this! He would make them bow before him, and his vengeance would be terrible!

Writhing in indescribable rage, he buried his claws in the sand, preparing for another leap. Sadly, since there were two opponents facing him, he had to choose just one target. Picking Zidi, since she was the older one, he attempted to slash her face with his claws…

The female did not even take a step back. Moving with the agility of a gazelle, she quickly countered his attack, landing a few lightening-fast blows on his chest. If it weren't for his mane, she would have undoubtedly drawn a lot of blood.

The sudden attack made Scar stumble… and Zidi's daughter did not fail to use that to her advantage. Jumping at him from behind, she buried her claws in his back.

The lion's roar of fury turned into one of pain.

Shaking desperately, he attempted to knock Jo off his back. But before he was able to do that, not only did the lioness leave deep bloody furrows in his skin, but her mother was already there to try to bring him down again.

He realized that, though smeller in size, Zidi and Jo were stronger than him. And much, _much_ more skilled. He had gorged himself on the flesh of unarmed humans, but the lionesses spent their lives fighting beasts and gladiators.

He started panicking.

-"No… stop!" – a pathetic yelp sprung out of his mouth as he felt the females overpowering him. But they did not listen. Instead, they put him in a position of prey which was about to be slain.

As the satisfied humans cheered, Scar still attempted to struggle. He realized that he didn't want to die, and how much he was afraid of death. Once again, a vision of his mother's corpse appeared in his mind…

He tried to wrestle with the females, but his muscles were shaking, and the pain was starting to make him lose his mind. In horror, he realized what Zidi and Jo were trying to do.

Since they weren't able to put him down by biting his neck due to his mane, what they would normally do in the case of every other animal, the lionesses instead opted for a more brutal, yet just as effective method. Biting and pulling, they managed to turn him over to his back, exposing his stomach.

Then Scar knew that they were trying to rip his guts out.

 _Is this how it ends? My life, my struggles… is it all forfeit? Drowned in a puddle of blood?_

That thought scared him more than anything else before. More than any foe he encountered as leader of the Lion Guard. More than Mufasa. More than even his father.

Screaming uncontrollably, witnessing the terrifying sight of Jo's bloody fangs right before his eyes as she neared her muzzle to his skin, he attempted a one last counter-attack. Though Zidi was holding him down tightly, his hind legs were still free. Kicking like a frightened horse, he managed to deliver a blow to the younger female's face.

-" _RRRAH!_ " – roared the lioness, realizing that she now also had her own blood on her snout. – "You'll pay for this, you old piece of shit…"

Then, instead of focusing on the lion's stomach in order to end the whole ordeal quickly, Jo bit his leg in retaliation.

The desperate, terrified lion felt jaws of steel tightening around his bone. And then he heard a cracking sound.

 _-"NOOOOO!"_

A white flash blinded his for a few seconds as the pain paralyzed his nervous system. This truly was the end. And all he could think of was that he would meet his demise at the claws and fangs of two lying wenches, like some sort of a stinking mongrel.

Oxygen was knocked out of his lungs, and everything slowed down and lost its color. Turning his head from the slaughter which the lionesses had initiated, he noticed his brother's terrified face in the window of their cell.

 _Observe as I perish, Mufasa. I always wanted you to die first… but didn't you also dream for me to finally be gone from your life?_

Closing his eyes, he let his head fall freely on the sand.

Surprisingly, he didn't feel or hear anything anymore. Perplexed by this strange sensation, he looked up at the sky. It was clouded, and the white shapes above seemed to form the rough outline of a lion's head.

He should have seen this coming. It was inevitable. This hated image which had haunted him all his life, would not leave him alone even in death.

-"Father," – he addressed the apparition without mentioning Ahadi's proper title.

The image of the deceased king continued to form in the clouds, creating the sharp yet noble features so well known to him, which resembled his own no matter how much he would try to deny it. Ahadi's eyes were directed at his son, yet he remained silent.

-"That's what it is, isn't it?" – Scar whispered, too tired to fully express his hatred. – "You've come to exact your justice. To claim my life and send me to your eternal punishment. I shall not become one of the stars, will I? There is no light for me, the inferior one of your spawn. Only disappointment, as always."

He felt like Ahadi's burning gaze seared his very heart, causing a pain more intense than his torn flesh and broken bones…

… yet the king's answer was different than what Scar had anticipated.

-"No, Taka. You are my son. And you must live."

It was a thought most shocking, to the point of making the lion think that suffering had caused him to lose his mind.

-" _What…?_ " – he whispered, unable to believe in what he was hearing.

Yet, looking down at him, Ahadi spoke with complete seriousness.

-"Have you forgotten? I have once promised you that your life would be spared. The Old King have decided to uphold that promise. Instead of calling you to your judgement, we shall grant you the power you once possessed as leader of the Lion Guard. You must use the Roar of the Elders to free yourself from your enemies, Taka. Otherwise, you will indeed die."

-"No! But… how? How is this…" – Scar continued to sway in astonishment. – "I no longer… possess that power! You've deprived me of the Roar! Years ago, after I… after…"

He recalled the sight of his four companions lying before him, dead.

But for some reason, his father, and the Great Kings along with him, seemed to have decided to ignore what happened on that day.

-"We ourselves have deprived you of it, and we can restore it to you as well," – the king's voice seemed oddly soothing, just as his son remembered it sounding long ago, during his cubhood.

Scar said no more, gazing up toward the sky in the state of total petrification. Suddenly, he noticed something. Looking to the side, he saw the mark of a lion's head on his left shoulder.

The emblem of the leader of the Lion Guard. The same one he had carried for years… and the one which he had lost in such terrible circumstances.

-" _Why are you doing this?!_ " – he glanced back at his father's face, addressing him in a confused state of wrath.

But gazing at him from on high regally, the old king simply responded-

-"One chance, my son. Use it well."

The wind blew, the clouds were scattered. The vision vanished so fast that Scar questioned if he ever really saw it.

But one thing remained. The lionhead mark.

The lionesses, who were about to bury their teeth in his stomach, smiled at him mockingly, holding him down with their strong, clawed paws.

-"And last words, _friend_?" – Zidi addressed her prey, enjoying every second of the prolonged execution she was carrying out along with her daughter.

Scar now knew exactly how he wished to respond to that. Looking at them with disdain, he whispered-

-"Die."

And then he roared.

The ground shook, the light flashed from the clouds, and once again, just like years ago, Scar felt the power of the Old Kings of the Pridelands joining him as he delivered the Lion Guard's justice.

The older lioness didn't even have time to yelp. The overwhelming force of the Roar sent her flying through the air like a ragged doll. Colliding with the wall of the amphitheater, she fell upon the surface of the arena, and did not stand up again.

-" _NOOO!" –_ her frightened daughter screamed, immediately running over to Zidi's side.

The people gathered in the building, thinking it was an earthquake, lunged from their seats and ran to the exits in panic, creating a huge uproar.

In great pain, yet alive, Scar rose from the ground and spat out the blood and sand which got into his mouth. The mark on his shoulder was gone. Wounded, he was now forced to finish this fight alone.

He limped when he walked, as his right calf was broken. But his rage was giving him strength.

He found Jo nuzzling her mother's body. Zidi was still alive, however her spine must have been shattered, and she wasn't able to say anything. Her daughter cried by her side, though she was trying to hide it.

When Scar stood before them, the young lioness looked at him with fury which he had seldom seen before in his life.

-"You _killed_ her!" – she roared, her handsome young face twisted in anger.

-"Not yet," – the lion responded, himself barely finding enough strength to speak.

She attacked instantaneously. And although she had tremendous advantage, Scar decided to reach for an old weapon which had always aided him in the past- his wits.

Thinking of a way to bring the second lioness down, Scar recalled a duel he saw on his way to Carthage- a battle between two Arab humans from the caravan. The ingenuity with which the victor defeated his opponent was something the lion had fixed strongly in his mind.

The fight happened in the desert. And over here, in the arena, there was also a lot of sand.

Jo charged at him, breathing our fury, her expression promising murder. Her big muscles were flexed, her claws and fangs exposed.

And her blood-shot eyes wide open.

With a carefully timed motion, right before the vicious female was able to attack him, Scar cupped some sand in his paw, and flung it straight into the lioness' face.

Roaring terribly, completely blinded, Jo danced around the arena, spitting and cursing and she threw her head around, trying to get the dust out of her eyes.

But it was much too late.

Scar pounced at her with all the force which his aching muscles were still able to provide him with. Pinning the dazed female under the weight of his body, he quickly found her neck.

Females didn't have manes.

He squeezed the life out of her in a matter of minutes. When he could no longer feel her heartbeat, he stood up, spat, and abandoned Jo's bleeding corpse in the sand.

It was now time for the mother.

Dragging himself to the wall where Zidi lay, Scar looked in her fading eyes. The lioness was choking on her own blood, yet she was conscious. Good, he though, as she was able to observe her daughter's death.

-" _How…?_ " – she blurted out, coughing, her expression showing both fury and fear.

Scar did not bother with an explanation. After all, they said to him themselves that they've had enough of him talking. And he was also getting really tired.

After smothering the last of his opponents, the lion looked up, hardly able to believe in his triumph. The amphitheater was almost empty, as even the humans departed, terrified of his roar. That realization almost made him smile.

Aching terribly and heavily limping, he walked over to the gate which led to his pen.

-"Open… this door!" – he roared, thinking that perhaps the guards were too scared to pay attention to what was going on in the arena anymore.

Surprisingly, someone did heed the call, and the gate soon stood open before him. Scar pressed on, entering the darkness of the narrow passage.

Standing in the midst of his cell, he saw Ursus' completely shocked face.

-"What… the _hell…_ did you do?" – the bear, who must have observed the fight through his own window, uttered to him in a state of complete bewilderment.

Scar paid him no attention. Instead, he looked at him brother. Mufasa's expression was impossible to describe, and his visage was very blurry to the exhausted lion's eyes.

-"He kept his promise…" – Scar mumbled to his astonished sibling. – "For once, he kept his promise…"

Unable to take the strain anymore, he collapsed to the floor. And then he began to laugh.

Mufasa kept staring at him flabbergasted for a few moments, unsure of what to make of all this. But when he realized what his brother just did, and in what way he survived this uneven battle against all odds, he too smiled.

-"Y-you used the Roar of the Elders… just as before you relinquished it!" – the lion spoke with an eerie sense of joy. – "The Old Kings have not abandoned us, after all!"

But Scar just kept on laughing, so much so that his chortle soon turned from obsessive to maniacal, to downright deranged. His bloody mouth arched in a disturbing grin, he directed his squinted eyes at his brother, as if his words caused him to feel some unhealthy form of pleasure.

-" _HAHAHA!_ You… you complete fool…" – the dark lion uttered, at once becoming overwhelmed with another burst of laughter which caused him to roll over.

Mufasa's own cheerfulness popped like a bubble.

-"What…?" – he asked, confused.

Scar looked at him again, and spilled the whole truth. Hiding it just had no point anymore.

-"I… I have never _relinquished_ the Roar of the Elders. Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to do that? No, Mufasa. I was _deprived_ of the Roar. Deprived, right after I used it to slay my comrades. That's right… Their death was not an accident. I slew them… when they refused to aid me in overthrowing _you_ , and claiming the throne of the Pridelands for myself!"

The gruesomeness of this confession was not nearly as shocking to Mufasa as the manner in which his brother delivered it. With each word, Scar became more excited, as if he reveled in his dreadful crime. He had killed four of the finest lions of the kingdom, whom he had himself personally chosen, who were his loyal friends and companions all throughout his youth… and he bragged about it as if he counted it as a great victory.

His brother was a traitor, living under his very nose. Mufasa could not describe the depth of the darkness which shrouded his heart.

-"Perhaps… perhaps it is good that I have never been king?" – Scar went on, still laughing like a maniac. – "All of you are such fools… I managed to hide it from you for all these years, as air-headed as you are… But you couldn't have not suspected anything, could you? _Hahaha…_ I am the monster you always knew I were! I'd have turned your kingdom into a second Roman Empire, if I had only gotten the chance. I had even drawn up plans to murder your son, which I would have set in motion had the humans not apprehended us…"

Panting in overwhelming anguish, Mufasa was only able to mouth a single question.

-"Brother… why?"

-"If you live with apes, it's hard to be clean…" – his sibling delivered his cryptic response.

They looked at one another. Two king's sons, once noble, but now broken and twisted. Their families would not be able to recognize them now that all of their inner darkness was exposed upon the sands of the arena.

-"The Great Kings have spared you, granted you your life again…" – the older brother spoke in desperation. – "Why are you telling me this now?"

Once more Scar roared with a wave of crazed laughter.

-"And what is this life of mine still good for?!" – he cried out. – "I slaughtered those who were my only comfort. I have nothing now. _Nothing_ , do you hear?!"

In shock, Mufasa realized that Scar actually did have some sort of affection for Zidi and Jo… an affection which turned out to be completely misguided.

The wounded lion looked up at his brother from the floor, his smile suddenly vanishing.

-"Go ahead," – he hissed. –"End it all. Relieve me from living in your shadow, I've had enough. All I've ever wanted has been taken away because of you. It's always like that. I hated you for it. I wanted to kill you for it… and I still do."

But Mufasa just stood there, stiff as a rock.

-"Go on, exact your just punishment!" – his brother screamed at him.

The older lion hung his head, exhaling. His eyes expressed a deep, piercing sorrow.

-"Hakuna udugu kati yetu…" – he whispered. – "There really is no brotherhood between us. I should have known."

He then turned around, went over to his corner, and lied down upon the rotten hay.

This surprised Scar greatly, as he was sure that Mufasa would react with rage.

-"Aren't you going to choose the righteous path?" – the younger lion remarked mockingly.

Right before closing his eyes, his brother responded-

-"All of us have lost our damn minds over here."

Coming here, they had feared the beast they would face in the arena. But it turned out that the most gruesome ones were those that lived inside them.

Ursus and Parus looked at one another sadly, having witnessed this depressing exchange of words between the two brothers.

Scar, exhausted, put his head against the cold stone pavement of the cell.

-"Worry not," – he whispered passionlessly. – "My wounds are too severe. I will die, just like Shaheed… just like the lioness whose death we saw when we were cubs… and just like mother. You will have your justice anyway. I will rot here, in this exile, till the humans come to finish me off. And that shall be my reward."


	22. Gloria Martyrum

**AN: Thanks for the 10k hits, guys. Here's an earlier update.**

* * *

 **CAPUT XXII – GLORIA MARTYRUM** (Glory To The Martyrs)

 _(Mufasa)_

The nights have gotten darker than before. The stars- still present, yet endlessly far away, removed from the earth, barely blessing it with their glow. Frigid and silent.

Gazing at them from beyond the iron bars had ceased to give him comfort long ago. Hour after hour, he battled despair like an invading foe, encircling him from all around, seemingly unconquerable.

Behind his back, barely breathing, lay the wretch who was his brother. His appearance now perfectly reflected the ugliness of his thoughts and desires, his internal decay. Was the only thing that kept Mufasa from killing him the fact that he was almost dead, anyway?

And yet, Ahadi had spoken to Scar…

The older lion had no idea why the Old King decided to address his brother, and not him. The question ate away at the core of his mind like a worm. Nevertheless, the very fact that the Ancients had not abandoned them completely, fueled the last remnants of his will to persevere.

Drowning in the darkness, with eyes raised toward the lucid constellations, he kept repeating-

 _Nisaidie, baba… nipe nguvu…_

There was no answer, however.

The lonely heap of dirty fur in the corner suddenly twitched and groaned in pain, rolling to the other side. Mufasa looked that way instinctively, and realized something.

Scar reminded him of a rogue trespasser whom he had once encountered close to the border of the Pridelands. It was shortly after the fall of the Lion Guard, when the king had to personally take up patrolling the land in order to defend it from possible threats. The rogue was an outcast, desperate and starving, and when Mufasa saw his many injuries, he wondered how the male managed to defend himself from predators for so long. Since the rogue was a dangerous poacher, the king wished to scare him off at first, but when he stood face to face with the outcast and tried reasoning with him, it soon proved completely futile. Due to starvation, pain, and disease, the lion had become completely feral. Though with a heavy heart, Mufasa was forced to put the crazed trespasser down.

Since that day, he always wondered if that was how the noble king Ahadi had met his end after his self-imposed exile. Now, however, it was becoming more and more possible that both the father and his two sons would perish in a similarly pathetic way.

When king Ahadi was still alive, it seemed that life would be so easy. But all the dreams he had as a cub turned out completely wrong. Looking at the stars, he just wished it would not be the same for Simba.

The day finally came, but the rays of the sun which illuminated the inside of the pens brought with them little consolation. The number of animals depleted rapidly, and it no longer seemed like the humans, preoccupied with their own problems, would bring any more. Instead, they mercilessly strained those beasts that were still left alive.

The horrible sound of the opening door woke everyone except for the vigilant Mufasa. Ursus and Pardus, eager to fight to the very end, stood up without a word, ready for what would happen. Then, willingly or not, the older lion glanced toward his loathsome sibling.

The slaves noticed that he was wounded, which was evident from his appearance. Yet, standing there with their hands on their hips, they chattered amongst each other, trying to estimate whether or not the haggard lion was still good for anything. One of them placed his hand on the hilt of his dagger.

As if to respond to their doubts, the seemingly incapacitated Scar moved. First, he opened his blood-shot eyes, fixing them at the humans hatefully. He raised his head from the ground, revealing clots of old blood and drool which had disfigured his face and mane. Supporting himself with his three good limbs, he stood up with a groan, hiding from the slaves the fact that one of his legs was broken. A low growl issued from his throat, which was enough intimidating to make the humans conclude that he was indeed fit for the arena.

Mufasa examined Scar's injuries. The flesh around the wound on his calf was black, flies buzzed around it. The older lion remembered the rogue he had slain. He too had gotten a natural boost of adrenaline in spite of his miserable state, which would have probably helped him survive if it had not caused him to also completely lose his mind.

Grassus suddenly barged in, agitated more than usually. Beating the slaves with his rod, he rebuked them for their tardiness and urged them to hurry.

All the animals walked down the stone passage without a word, with Scar limping at the end of the column. Once again, morning revealed the result of last night's ordeal- charred, crucified bodies, human torches which burned as punishment for the innocent, and as entertainment for the guilty.

In the midst stood a frightened, chanting band, larger than usual. It seemed that the Carthaginian authorities had gotten more efficient in capturing the victims, or perhaps the victims' coerced neighbors simply began to expose them more frequently.

-"The Romans must have blamed the Christians for the earthquake," – Ursus observed somberly, looking at the miserable throng of captives.

-" _CHRISTIANOS AD LEONES! CHRISTIANOS AD LEONES!_ " – the dreadful demand boomed from the stands.

Once again, Mufasa was able to observe that the mob, which now shouted as if creating a single, enormous mouth, would never be satisfied with drinking blood spilled in the amphitheater. And since the victims were more numerous, also those who were to execute them had to be multiplied.

The lion now saw other doors open, those leading to different sections of the beast pens. From inside the gaping passages, a reek of a whole army of predators reached his nostrils. He soon witnessed lions, tigers, wild dogs, bears pouring into the arena… and so did the Christians. And when they did, they knew they were looking their own death in the eyes.

 _Perhaps I can get lost in this crowd,_ Mufasa thought to himself, wanting to avoid spilling innocent blood.

But his brother had no such qualms, it appeared. Attracted by the scent of the prey, Scar brazenly stood ahead of all of them this time, baring his fangs. His blind, insane viciousness had no match among the other beasts, and when some of the more ferocious lions saw what he was doing, they joined his side, and approached the prisoners.

Hands and prayers sprung up to heaven, and Mufasa's guts churned in disgust.

 _He really is a villain. But did he only completely lose his mind just now… or has he been always lost?_

The hunters, led by Scar, were almost about to pounce at their victims, when another predator ran ahead and stood in their way- a panther.

In shock, Mufasa realized that it was Pardus.

-" _Usiue!_ " – yelled the black animal frantically, attempting to stop the lions from advancing. No longer did he restrain himself from expressing his objections vocally.

–" _Usiue,_ Scar, son of Ahadi! Enough! You may not harm these innocents, you've shed your fill of blood in this cursed place already! Now, _get away!_ "

Mufasa had never seen Pardus this angry. But when Scar turned around…

 _Indeed, he is lost! -_ the lion groaned internally.

The devious, ironic glow which was perpetually showing in his brother's face ever since they were cubs, was now completely gone. Squinting from pain and insanity, his fiery eyes now reflected nothing but hatred. His blood-stained countenance, framed in coiled strands of what was once a handsome mane, was twisted in limitless anger. The muscles of his jaws flexed as he clenched his fangs, a venomous, unhealthy growl of disdain flowing through them. He shook with both fever and bloodlust.

When Mufasa realized what was about to happen, it was already too late.

-" _Stop!_ " – he yelled, yet his call fell on the deaf ears of a feral, nearly dead beast.

Time and time again, Pardus had tried to prevent Scar from engaging in slaughter. Yet what he did not realize was that he was only provoking him.

Though the deranged lion was the first one to attack, he was not the only one. Otherwise, the healthy panther would have undoubtedly defeated him. But Scar wasn't alone- he was joined by a whole throng of lions, just as starving and crazed as him, whose anger also got triggered by Pardus' desperate cries of opposition.

Mufasa held his breath, seeing how the panther got surrounded and overwhelmed by the vicious pack in a matter of seconds. In the mess that followed, he was unable to see what became of the unfortunate Pardus until much later- when his cries of pain finally silenced.

He rushed to aid his fellow feline, yet fighting off the blood-thirsty lions proved extremely difficult. Before he was able to reach Pardus, the beasts had already began feeding on his flesh, which under normal circumstances was an utter disgrace to a lion.

Finally, he was able to cast Scar aside, who persistently clung to the panther's neck in an attempt to strangle him. His devious younger brother, seeing that his attack was a success anyway, simply licked the blood from his lips with a smirk, and receded.

-"Pardus!" – Mufasa called the injured feline's name, seeing that the bright green light of his eyes was beginning to fade.

The animal struggled to catch a breath, bleeding profusely from the wound in his throat. Noticing who was talking to him, he coughed, and strained himself to speak.

-"This Empire…" – Pardus wheezed as his intestines spewed onto the sand. – "One day, it shall fall… as punishment… for what it has become."

Mufasa stood petrified, unable to understand how Pardus knew all this. And he soon realized that he would never be able to know the truth. Breathing his last, the panther placed his head on the sand, and died. One tragedy out of many, and another innocent victim of the arena.

He felt his blood boil, and the muscles of his jaws tightened. The old laws had been broken so many times that they no longer mattered even to him. He did not care that Scar was his own flesh and blood, nor that he had been spared by the Ancients. He had to _pay_.

Breathing out fury, the king of the Pridelands arose from beside Pardus' body. With every claw and fang, he now promised to deliver justice to the one who had become the scum of the earth to him by his own will, and by his own terrible transgressions.

He glared toward his brother, and was about to call his name.

In the meantime, Scar continued to follow his instincts, urging him to finally satiate his thirst for blood. Returning to his interrupted hunt, he refocused on his target- the humans. Standing face to face with them, he didn't even bother to snarl and roar at them like the other beasts, but walked boldly, with strange swiftness in spite of his broken leg, voracious and deadly.

But the man who stood closest to him was not afraid. For some reason, this ragged prisoner, who had already been severely beaten and mistreated by the guards, faced his killer with calmness and tranquility which could be either a sign of a complete lack of the fear of death…

… or that he simply did not intend to die at the beast's hand that day.

When he saw what now unraveled before his disbelieving eyes, Mufasa halted. It was staggering enough to see a frail human standing face to face with a lion, a vicious creature larger than him even in his malnourished form.

But what this man did was simply… _unimaginable_.

The prisoner looked Scar in the eyes, and puts his hand on his head.

Why the bloodthirsty lion permitted him to do that, Mufasa did not know. But what happened later was even farther beyond the bewildered animal's imagination.

Scar's ears, previously pricked up as a sign of warning, suddenly drooped. His muscles relaxed, and the furious expression on his face was replaced by one of ease and tranquility. The predator hid his fangs, and retracted his claws.

The human crowd, previously crying out in rage, now began to gasp and stumble in confusion… as they saw the killer lion lying down at the feet of the man who was to be his victim mere seconds ago, in calmness and total submission.

Mufasa could not believe his eyes when he saw the Christian peacefully stroking his brother's mane. And as he noticed all the other beasts, just as startled as him, also lie down on the sand, he felt his own muscles giving way, the weight of the mesmerizing event causing them to feel weak.

For the first time, something could be heard in the arena which had probably never appeared there before.

Silence.

Finding himself lying on the ground, his head resting in between his paws, Mufasa witnessed as the man, seemingly an elder among the Christians, began a peaceful song, which his companions soon picked up. They seemed almost happy.

-"En to onomati Iesou pan gonu kampse, epouranion kai epigeion kai katachthonion…" *

The lion observed in amazement, and saw that all the animals were now at the feet of the Christians, who stood erect and without fear. Even Ursus, though he still towered over the prisoners, bowed his head before them.

But the relentless crowd did not like this tranquility. Peace was not why they came to the Carthaginian amphitheater, and they soon expressed how much they hated it.

-" _AMENTES! DAMNATOS OCCIDITE!_ " – a scream echoed above the arena.

Turning his head, Mufasa saw Grassus, addressing the soldiers from his pulpit. The mob in the stands quickly picked up his sobering cry.

-" _MORTEM! MORTEM!_ " – the call for blood now issued from thousands of throats, and the innocents in the midst of the sandy field again became the target of overwhelming hate.

The guards, completely startled at first, unsheathed their swords.

 _Oh no…_ \- Mufasa gasped.

Stepping over the lounging beasts, the soldiers began to dispatch the slaves swiftly, one by one. They, however, continued singing, stretching out their arms toward the sky until not one of them was left alive. The enraged Romans from the crowd kept shouting in disappointment, much wilder than the animals before them, pointing their thumbs at their throats as a sign of a death sentence.

They got what they wished for, but not how they wanted it.

Soon enough, Mufasa found himself lying among a heap of corpses. The soldiers, tired, wiped the sweat from their brows, and the blood from the edges of their swords.

Noticing the same thing as him, which was that they all better move before the humans decide to punish them for their inaction, Ursus stood up finally, and looking toward Mufasa with fright in his eyes, said-

-"Let's get out of here!"

Seeing that the way back to the pens stood open, and that the adrenaline finally gave him enough strength in spite of his total shock and confusion caused by the incomprehensible events of that morning, Mufasa rose to his feet quickly.

But then, some unrest in the amphitheater caught his attention again. And not just his. It now seemed that the humans were no longer interested in what was going on in the arena, but rather focused on one particular member of their kind.

The lion noticed an old man among the mob, sitting with the commoners though draped in a white gown of a Roman citizen. The man stood up, raising his arms, and with bitter sorrow reverberating in his words, mournfully shouted-

-"Gloria martyrum!"

His voice then broke, and the man was reduced to tears. As if his bewilderment could get even greater, Mufasa recognized him as the member of the midnight assembly deep down within the pens.

-"That is Cyprian, the leader of the Christians in Carthage," – Ursus explained after running up to him, observing as the crowd cried out in outrage and urged the soldiers to apprehend the old man. – "There is no escape for him now. Come, clawsnfangs! Let us use our own opportunity while we still have the chance!"

Still unable to understand, Mufasa turned around, and saw that all other beasts now ran back to their cages. Wanting to preserve his life, hoping that perhaps some day he would find an answer, he hastened to do the same.

Nearing the entrance to the passage, he caught up with his brother. Surprisingly, the younger lion was running just as fast as him.

-"Scar!" – he yelled, but his sibling did not turn back.

Speeding up, he went ahead of him, and stood in his way at the gate. Scar halted, but would not look him in the face.

-"What happened over there?!" – Mufasa asked, bursting with emotion.

The dark lion kept his head hung low, but his brother could see the look in his eyes. And those eyes were blank and hollow, as if expressing a shock Mufasa could not even imagine. Some experience that only Scar had had, which was far more mysterious than anything anyone saw in the arena that day.

-"Look," – whispered the younger feline, motioning with his head.

Mufasa gazed at his leg… and realized that it was no longer broken.

-"That man…" – Scar continued, his voice overstrung with some incomprehensible weight. – "The human who touched me… He healed me."

He raised his stunned eyes, and both the brothers looked at one another in disbelief.

-"How…?" – Mufasa was only able to mumble.

Scar stood up heavily, his mouth still agape.

-"What I saw today… I shall never be able to explain even to myself. Let alone you."

He sounded like Mufasa had never heard him sound before. Broken, as if he were about to cry. Until now, he had hid behind a mask of either cynicism, irony, or rage, but not after today. He seemed like he had regained his sanity... only for his world to be completely undone by what he witnessed. It was not killing Zidi and Jo which finally shattered him, but it was the touch of that prisoner in the arena.

-"The panther was right," - he continued silently, turning around. - "No more spilling of innocent blood."

Slowly and heavily, Scar entered the shadow of the stone corridor.

* * *

 **AN:**

 *** - "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Philippians 2, 10; Greek)**


	23. Carthago Delenda Est

**CAPUT XXIII – CARTHAGO DELENDA EST** (Carthage Must Be Destroyed)

 _(Scar)_

On a hot September day, right outside the walls of Carthage, the Roman authorities cut off the head of bishop Thascius Cyprian. At that time, they were unaware of what exactly they had initiated by that act.

The riots started shortly before sunrise. By the time the unrest woke the animals at the amphitheater, who were mentally exhausted after the events they've witnessed earlier, fire could already be seen on the horizon.

Ursus stared out the window for hours, watching as the flames slowly engulfed the city. He couldn't make out anything from the screams.

After suddenly noticing something moving in the arena, he sprung up, attracting the attention of the two lions who were with him in the pens.

-"Cinis!" – the bear cried with desperation in his voice.

The fox poked his head through the bars. His eyes reflected deep concern.

-"What's going on out there?" – Ursus asked him.

-"The Romans executed Cyprian," – Cinis spoke hastily, shaking all over and turning his head. – "Half of the city's in the hands of insurgents by now. They're killing citizens in the streets…"

-"Who?" – the bear spoke in disbelief. – "The Christians?!"

-"No. It's the slaves. They only used the bishop's death as a pretext to frame them. I'm getting the hell out of here!"

With that, the fox vanished, which flung Ursus into a state of desperation.

-"Wait!" – he called out from behind Cinis' back. – "Are we in danger? Will the fires reach the amphitheater?"

But the animal was already gone, and the captives in the cell were left to their uncertainty.

-"Slaves outnumber citizens two to one around here," – the disgruntled bear uttered, sitting with his back against the wall.

Scar put his head on the floor gloomily.

It was shortly afterward that the screaming began. At first, the sound was distant, as if coming from behind many layers of stone. But as time went on, they got louder and louder.

Soon enough, Ursus and Mufasa became alerted by the sound, as it signified that the unrest in the city had finally reached the amphitheater.

-"What is going on?" – asked the lion.

-"I don't know," – the bear answered him. With fear showing in his expression, he strained his ears.

Completely ambivalent to everything at this point, Scar remained still. But when the doors were suddenly flung open, and the elements of the shattered lock rolled around the pavement, even he stood up in fright.

The three beasts first heard a frantic scream, and a whole band of slaves stumbled into the pens. They immediately recognized some of their handlers, as well as a few gladiators who had apparently joined the rebellion.

And along with them, or rather in their captivity, there also walked Grassus.

Scar noticed large beads of sweat atop the Beastmaster's bald head. His toga had been torn off, and his tunic had bloody stains on the back, which must have been the result of scourging.

It appeared that the slaves wished to give their former oppressor a taste of his own medicine.

The Roman yelled louder than any of the victims in the arena, both begging for mercy and promising gruesome retaliation. All of that ended when one of the gladiators who held him shoved a gag into Grassus' mouth.

The lion observed passively as the slaves gathered before the bars of Ursus' cage. One of them opened the door with a key. Though the Beastmaster vehemently resisted, the gladiators were much stronger than him. Having shoved the man into the cage, they locked the gate behind his back, and laughed.

-"Applaud, you fools…" – Scar whispered under his breath. – "Applaud."

The bear rose to his hind legs, towering over the man as he was nearly twice his height. Grassus' eyes were filled with terror when he realized that he was no longer his master.

With a powerful roar, Ursus swung his paw, and the man collapsed to the floor like a blade of grass under a hurricane, with his neck broken.

The walls of the pens were filled with a cheer of the slaves, who congratulated one another, urging themselves to hurry and continue the insurgence.

But Ursus was not done with them yet.

Scar was unable to understand how the bear did it, but by now it was clear that mysterious powers had been at work in this place. The bear roared yet again, forcing the humans to stiffen. They fixed their eyes at him, and he also looked at them with undeniable demand.

There was silence for a while, during which no one said anything. Then, one of the gladiators turned and spoke to the slave who kept the keys.

The man hesitated at first, but afterwards, as unbelievable as it was, he unlocked both Ursus' cage, as well as the one occupied by Scar and Mufasa. Leaving the doors ajar, the humans hastily departed with a mighty battle cry echoing behind them.

Scar felt his heart starting to pound. Hesitantly he approached the open door, touching it carefully with his nose. The metal hinges made a screeching sound.

He looked at Ursus in shock, and noticed that the bear was smiling.

-"What did you do?" – Mufasa asked, and his brother heard that his voice was shaking in amazement.

The bear did not answer the question directly.

-"Seems that our hosts wish to create more chaos in the city… by setting us free," – Ursus spoke with a resting grin. And then he raised his voice in a spontaneous outburst.

-"Don't you realize, you fools?! We're free! _FREE_ , I tell you! Abandon this filthy dungeon, and run for your lives! _Hahahaha!_ "

As he announced, so he did. Starting off, he knocked the gate wide open, and before the lions knew it, he was gone, running down the corridors into the bowels of the amphitheater. They never saw him again.

Mufasa and Scar looked at one another, and nodded. Before the thought that this was actually happening settled in their minds, they sprung out of their hated prison, and ran for the exit.

Mufasa took lead, but as Scar followed right at his brother's heels, he realized that neither of them knew where they were going. This part of the building was usually off limits for them.

Racing through the narrow passages, holding their breath, they ran past screaming slaves and terrified Romans who quickly went out of their way upon seeing them to avoid being mauled to death. Soon enough, the brothers found out that the insurgents have opened other cages as well, as they started seeing other beasts running around frantically in the subterranean section of the amphitheater. Some of the animals began attacking the humans. The chaos was indescribable.

Suddenly, Scar noticed something. As his brother wanted to keep on running forward, heading straight into the mass of fighting men and beasts, he called out to him in order to stop him.

-"Mufasa! Over here!"

Startled, the older lion turned his head, and noticed his brother pointing toward an open gate. They crossed it together, and yet again found themselves out in the arena.

The sun-scorched sand burned underneath their paws, yet that was not the most disturbing thing. Before them there played out another scene of brutality. It appeared that the slaves had dragged out some Roman citizens here, and started beating them mercilessly. A few corpses were already scattered around. But what the slaves didn't know, was that a whole unit of soldiers from the Carthaginian garrison, mobilized in order to stop the insurgency, were already at the gates, and about to enter the amphitheater.

-"This is our chance," – Scar realized. – "We can flee while the humans are fighting!"

A few moments later, the enormous door which led to the streets was knocked down, and armed guards came pouring inside. They did not pay attention to the two lions, but brandishing their swords, immediately clashed with the slaves who fended them off with stolen weapons and tools. The battle began, and the screams rose to the heavens.

The brothers ran, side by side, heading toward the gaping passage as if it were to lead them straight back to Pride Rock. And as they crossed it, undeterred, they could hardly believe their luck. The Old Kings must have really been with them.

They entered the streets of Carthage, where panic and chaos ruled since early in the morning. The ground was already strewn with corpses.

Hearing screams behind his back, Scar turned around, noticing that other animals had also exited the amphitheater, following him and his brother.

-"BESTIAE IN CIVITATE!" – cried a guard, and the air reverberated with the sound of a horn.

Scar felt something swishing through the air right by his side, and realized it was an arrow. The hair on his back bristled.

-" _Faster!_ " – he said to Mufasa, hastening his steps.

The city was vast, and parts of it were engulfed in flames, which made moving through the narrow streets the more complicated. The crowds of terrified humans didn't help, either. Yet his feet felt way more steady on the cobbled Roman pavement than on the sand of the arena which he had left far behind, and the exhilarating feeling of freedom gave him strength.

Had the Christian victim not healed him, this would be impossible.

Finding themselves at a crossroads, the brothers halted. Flames and smoke burst at them from the path to the north, eliminating that as a possible way of escape. The heat was disorienting, and since the sparks flying through the air began to burn their fur, Mufasa and Scar had to make a decision fast.

-"The western path leads to the sea," – the younger lion said, trying to recall the description of the city which Ursus had once given them. – "But if we go there, we'll be trapped. We need to go east, toward the city gates."

-"But which way is east?" – his brother turned his head in disorientation, trying to stay away from the deadly fumes.

Deciding to follow his instincts, Scar leaped over a flaming beam to the left, and found himself on a broad street. Mufasa followed right behind his back.

They ran like thunder, leaving the burning city behind. They were in luck. Before them they could already see the top of the ancient Theveste Gate, rebuilt after the Third Punic War- the very same way they entered Carthage in the first place.

At the start of the riots, the city gates were all closed to prevent the insurgents from fleeing. But when the city began to burn, the citizens themselves knocked the doors down, not wanting to be trapped between the fire and the Mediterranean. The tract was now littered with discarded carts and other junk, but the gate itself stood open.

On the other side, Mufasa and Scar saw the vast, green plains of northern Africa- a foretaste of freedom.

The younger brother ran ahead without a second thought, glad to leave the cursed human hive behind him. He had suffered enough here, and also inflicted an amount of suffering which he was now deeply ashamed of. All he wanted, was to escape.

But that also made him become careless. As it only appeared that the gate was left unguarded.

The Roman soldiers, though disorganized due to the riots, were still there on their post, defending the walls. They ignored any Carthaginian citizen who wished to flee the city, but when they saw two lions running their way, undoubtedly beast that had escaped the amphitheater, they grabbed their weapons at once.

-"Scar, look out!" – he heard his brother's cry of warning.

As he was passing through the gate, a soldier appeared out of nowhere- a tall guard clad in chain mail, with a glistening sword in his hand.

He could pounce. He could still try to make a desperate attempt to defend his life. But he just didn't want to.

He now knew he didn't deserve this freedom, and besides, spilling blood has become odious to him. For all the cruelty he had committed... both in the Pridelands and in the arena... he was now ready to pay.

What happened later, lasted no more than a few seconds.

Scar lost his balance and fell over, a great force sweeping him off his feet. He realized that he had indeed been able to make it through the gate. But when his head stopped turning, and he looked around in search for the Roman soldier...

... he noticed the man struggling with Mufasa.

His brother had overtaken him, and attacked the guard before he was able to use his sword.

As Scar lay petrified, the two fighters wrestled, the screams of the human mixing with the snarls of the lion. The sword had fallen from the soldier's hand, and Mufasa, avoiding the edge of his breastplate, was able to reach the neck.

The guard yelped, stiffened, and stopped moving.

His companions screamed in horror from the city walls. And rained down a torrent of arrows atop Mufasa's back.

Scar realized that, yet again, he had been saved, though it all came at a great cost. His life was spared by those more righteous than him, although he couldn't understand why.

-" _Nooo!_ " – he cried out, rushing to his brother's side, terrified by the sight of life fading in Mufasa's eyes. – "It is I who ought to die here, not you! Why…?"

His brother interrupted him.

-"You know, why… It was the right thing to do."

Surprisingly, Scar felt a horrible, piercing pain in his heart. Even though not so long ago this very same lion who now laid dying before him was the sole target of his utmost hatred.

-"Run…" – Mufasa whispered softly, closing his eyes.

The archers were already fixing new arrows on the strings of their bows.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, was executed by beheading on September 14, 258 AD. The city was not immediately destroyed, but finally fell to the Vandals in 439. Rome itself had already succumbed to the barbarian invasion in 410, marking the ultimate downfall of the Western Roman Empire.**

 **There's one more chapter to go. Hope you're still curious about how this story ends.**


	24. Epilogus

**CAPUT XXIV – EPILOGUS  
**

 _(Scar)_

His mother had once warned him that, in life, things happen which are simply unfair. Still, he did not understand.

"It was the right thing to do," said Mufasa in his final words. Not so long ago, he would have dismissed this as nonsense- as his brother's blind obedience to some worthless, ancient law.

He did not understand… and yet, after all that he had experienced in Carthage, it made more sense to him. Saving lives now seemed a far more worthy act than taking them.

He ran, as Mufasa ordered him, leaving his brother's body behind. The guards, unable to stop the fugitive lion, let him go, too concerned with the unrest in their city. Thus, Scar entered the main tract to Carthage, but since there were far too many humans there, he turned toward the farmlands. Once he made his way through the fields, he ventured into the desert.

He rushed ahead blindly, as if the whole Carthaginian army was still at his heels, wishing to leave the terror of the arena behind. Down the wadis to the south, wading through hills and valleys, after long hours of travel, he finally found himself at a small oasis.

Looking down at his own reflection in the water of the pond, he shook, unable to recognize himself. Though he managed to wash off the filth, the scars and injuries he sustained in the amphitheater were not something he would ever be able to hide, and the collar around his neck continued to remind him of his suffering. When he entered the cool water, he felt as if his miserable outward appearance perfectly expressed his internal pain.

After all, Mufasa was dead, whereas he, a murderer, lived.

Perhaps that was what the whole problem was all about. He had never been able to truly understand what was right and what was not. Following his own instincts seemed to work for his benefit usually… but eventually, he learned how wrong he was to only serve himself.

Perhaps, as both the Christians' and his brother's actions showed, sacrifice was indeed better than surrendering one's heart to darkness.

Leaving the oasis behind, he knew what he had to do. He owed his brother a debt that could be paid in only one way. He had to carry out Mufasa's mission, and return home, to the Pridelands.

The path would not be easy, that was certain. Having spent most of the journey to Carthage in a cage, he did not remember the way. All he had, were his instincts.

Able to sustain himself by hunting, he tracked down a human caravan traveling deeper into the desert. Though men had become odious to him, he decided to follow them, knowing that the Arab merchants would lead him to sources of food and water.

Keeping his distance to the caravan, following the tracks of camels and horses, he was able to continue on his way while catching prey in the meantime. But once they entered the Sahara, things got way more difficult.

While the humans were moving from oasis to oasis, he crept up to them at night in order to satiate his thirst. Yet after a few days it was evident that his hunger would kill him if he did not eat.

One stop after another, he began picking out the camels and the pack animals, putting the Arabs in a state of frenzy. Many times they tried to apprehend the devilish nocturnal stalker, yet always failed.

Still, Scar kept himself from consuming human flesh.

After several oases, the lion lost count. He realized that he must have been traveling for a longer period of time than he had spent in Carthage. But he also remembered that he would have to continue for much longer.

He switched caravans at larger oases, always making sure to head south, deeper into Africa, no matter how unforgiving the journey would be. Although many times he suffered from dehydration, exhaustion and starvation, he felt himself guided by some strange forces, and his internal conviction led him to press on.

When his eyes finally beheld lakes and forests instead of the endless ocean of sand, he knew he was getting close.

Bidding the humans farewell without a second thought, he entered the lavish plains, traveling through countless jungles and endless stretches of the savanna. It felt more like home, yet his journey was not over yet. He only breathed with relief and knew for sure that he had been going in the right direction when he saw in the distance the white peaks of Kilimanjaro. That magnificent sight made him raise his eyes toward the azure African skies with joy.

He reached the Pridelands at the end of the rain season. Seeing the home he thought he had lost forever now seemed like a dream. All throughout his journey, he though how it would be to come back, but there was only one thing he knew for sure- that it would not be easy.

Scar entered his land without hesitation, however, and let himself be noticed by the all-seeing eyes of the royal majordomo. He could now lie in the shade of a tree in peace, certain that it wouldn't be long before Zazu would bring to him the ruling monarch of the kingdom.

Sarabi, the queen mother, and all of the lionesses, were in great shock upon seeing someone they thought had died many months ago. Yet as he stood there before his kin, the dark lion assured them that he was indeed himself. The scar on his face provided enough proof.

He could already sense the question which Sarabi wished to ask him in the sadness of her eyes. A sorrow of loss had marred her former regality and confidence, and her brother-in-law could understand, why.

-"The king is dead," – he was forced to announce to them all with a heavy heart. – "Long live the king."

Mufasa's widow wept, naturally, yet she did not fall into despair. Scar could see that she had already buried and mourned her mate, who had been gone for so long. Her internal strength was something which greatly impressed him.

Wiping her tears swiftly, the queen approached him, saying that she actually found this situation to be extremely fortunate, and that she was greatly glad to at least have him back.

 _Fortunate?_ – the confused lion thought to himself incredulously. – _Glad to have me back?_

Such expression of kindness, which was actually also shared by the other lionesses, seemed to him to be some sort of a trick. Yet when Sarabi explained what situation the kingdom was presently in, he understood.

After Mufasa and Scar's disappearance, the Pridelands suffered a great loss, yet after a period of lament, everything pretty much returned to normal, with Sarabi ascending to the throne in substitution for her underage son. But a few month later, problems began to arise. Though no one dared to directly object to the queen's rule, the pride lacked a male leader, which some considered an opportunity for personal gain. Though Sarabi rejected the suitors, staunchly announcing that Simba was the one who would reign as king after Mufasa, not all of them accepted that line of succession.

A certain lion lord, Kimya, the leader of the Marshlanders, had decided to declare war on Sarabi and the Pridelands. He promised that if the queen would not stand down, leaving the throne to him, he and his pride would attack Pride Rock. Then, Sarabi would be left not only dethroned, but also with her son, and perhaps even herself, dead.

It was because of the Marshlanders' rebellion that the lionesses found the sudden arrival of the former leader of the Lion Guard to be a true gift from the Old Kings. And, having survived what he did in Carthage, Scar was inclined to agree.

 _We will not kill you_ _–_ Ahadi once told him, speaking for the whole council of the Ancients. _-_ _You will live on, and may your scars remind you of your shame._

Now he knew why he was allowed to survive. The past had indeed been grim, tragic, and full of wickedness, but perhaps this shame of his could yet be redeemed. Looking at Sarabi with respect, he admired her strength and responsibility. There was no time for crying over the ones long dead, when those still alive were in danger. He thought Mufasa would have been proud of her.

Though his long voyage had almost drained his strength completely, Scar announced that he wholeheartedly agreed to aid his fellow Pridelanders. Saying that no more time ought to be wasted, he demanded to be taken to Pride Rock.

The sight of his family's domain, the throne of his kingdom, caused a happiness to appear in his heart which he could not recall when he felt last. Yet all of that promptly vanished when he saw a young lion running out from behind the rocks to meet him.

Simba.

The juvenile's short mane and sideburns had a color that reminded Scar of his lost brother. The crown prince beamed with joy upon seeing his uncle again, and calling his name with a smile, he clung to him, nuzzling his haggard, sun-scorched fur.

The dark lion realized that this cub still loved him. True, he didn't know... But still, that was what finally broke Scar's heart.

It fell on him to deliver the tragic news to Simba. There was no time for much explanation. After telling his nephew that his father was indeed dead, feeling his paws shake, he observed the young lion weep, running off to find comfort in the embrace of Nala, his betrothed.

He remembered that he had once plotted to kill this innocent creature. And upon seeing the young lioness, an even more gruesome memory struck him...

That he was personally responsible for the death of Siri, Nala's father, who had once stolen Sarafina from him.

 _How could I…?_

Turning his face away, he felt as tears filled his own eyes. But there was no time for that, either. Wiping them away quickly so that no one would see, he asked Sarabi to aid him in taking off the collar which still adorned his neck. During the long and toilsome process, Scar explained the incredible events of his and Mufasa's human captivity, and their struggles in the arena, to the amazed queen.

Then, finally free of his loathsome shackles, he called for Zazu.

* * *

Announcing his return to the kingdom, Scar demanded to meet with a delegation from the Marshlands. Yet he specifically requested to see not the domain's rebellious prince, but his mate.

The lioness arrived on that same day. Her fierce, dark-furred female bodyguards were halted at the entrance to the Lair of the Lion Guard by the Pridelanders, as she was informed that Scar wished to speak to her there, alone.

Entering the shade of the cave, making her way through the thick vegetation which had grown there throughout the years since the Lion Guard's destruction, she finally found the queen's brother-in-law lying atop of a boulder overlooking the pond in the middle of the lair, with the painted wall which depicted this place's long history behind his back.

Already by the scent she could recognize that it was truly him, as unimaginable as it seemed. Yet his appearance had changed so dramatically. It was clear that he had suffered from undernourishment and extreme strain during the time of his absence. Scars could now be seen not only on his face, but pretty much on every part of his body that was not covered with his now molted mane. He had a notch in his ear, much like her own.

Still, that was not the most significant change. The lioness experienced the greatest disappointment when she saw that Scar no longer addressed her in the same way he had for all those years they knew each other. His attitude had completely changed. No longer were his lips curled in a sarcastic, cunning grin, exhibiting a sense of superiority and jeer. The merriment that he usually shared with her had vanished, replaced by a dark shadow which haunted the gaze of his green eyes, signifying something so gruesome she wouldn't even understand. His face was stoic and grim.

Still, Scar's claws were surprisingly retracted, for some reason, and he did not appear to be in any way hostile.

The female approached slowly and carefully, unsure of how to react to his nearly miraculous, yet so odd, reappearance. He fixed his eyes on her intently, and she heard him speak.

-"Ah, my little fox."

Mentioning this old nickname he had given her ages ago, when as leader of the Lion Guard he saved her life from a rogue, was undoubtedly supposed to soften her. Yet he spoke the words in such a dry and passionless manner, so much differently than before, that it caused her to remain alert and formal.

-"Scar! I did not think I would ever see you again! And yet, here you are. Have you also brought your _brother_ back with you from this rather long stroll?"

He could sense that she was dissatisfied with him. As he lay there without a words, the two lions continued to stare into one another's eyes.

-"Well? Did someone bite off your tongue? Will you not apologize for abandoning me like that without a word?!" – she finally burst out angrily, bearing her fangs at him.

He could see this coming.

-"For your information, Mufasa is dead," – the lion announced to her, rising slowly. – "And _you_ are in open rebellion, young one."

As he stood face to face with her, turning her own accusation against her, the female's ears drooped. Still, after no more than a second, she responded with a disdainful snort.

-" _Hmph._ Not me. It's my mate, Kimya, prince of the Marshlands…"

-" _Do you take me for a fool, Zira?_ " – now Scar raised his voice at her like he had never done before in his life. – "I've known you since you were smaller than a jackal's whelp. I used to carry you in my jaws. I listened patiently to all your wails and woes, when you had no other before whom you could pour them out. And I am aware of what you are, my precious. You cannot lie to me. Now, admit that _you_ are the true instigator of this uprising!"

Stiffening like a rock and as mad as a hornet, Zira slowly yet reluctantly nodded.

-"Good," – Scar continued, circling around her as if he were rebuking a misbehaving cub. – "Now, you shall go back to the Marshlands, and make all of the lionesses in your pride reconfirm their allegiance to Pride Rock-"

-"And why should I do such a thing?!" – she cut him off abruptly, no longer able to hide her rage. – "As you said yourself, your brother is dead! The throne of the Pridelands is free for the taking!"

Scar stood before her so close she could almost touch him, and looked her straight in the eyes. His powerful gaze made her silence.

-"It no longer is," – he said.

Zira's face was instantly covered with an expression of confusion.

-"What?!"

Now he knew he had her cornered. It was time to reveal his little secret.

-"You underestimate my ambition. According to law, my nephew is still too young to rule on his own, and that makes _me_ first in line to the throne of Pride Rock. I've already discussed this with Sarabi. Tomorrow, at the break of dawn, I will be crowned the interim king of the Pridelands."

He could hardly believe it himself. Thus, Zira's complete incredulity was no surprise to him.

-"You?!" – the lioness sneered mockingly. – " _Taka the Cruel_ , as they used to call you? The exiled and roundly despised prince Scar? In this land, I was the only one who mourned your disappearance, while everyone else bewailed the loss of Mufasa."

Though that revelation pained him, he knew that it was both true and just. He deserved his fate. Yet, as it appeared, his return to the kingdom was for the very purpose of redeeming himself for his crimes.

-"As you can see, the Pridelanders are desperate," - Scar continued to negotiate with the persistent lioness. –"I've told Sarabi that my reign would be much different than the one of my deceased brother. That changes would have to be introduced, and that they would not be pleasant, at least not for her and her lionesses. And even in spite of that, my sister in law agreed. I must commend you, Zira. You did a splendid job creating a confusion within their ranks. It is because of your little insurgence that the Pridelanders turned to me for help. But now, you must listen to what I tell you, and let it go."

She did not like this idea, Scar could clearly see that in her eyes. In spite of all his sharp wit, however, he couldn't figure out, why. Finally, she revealed it to him herself, as she turned her face away angrily, and hissed-

-"Are you going to marry Sarabi now?"

 _Always defiant –_ he thought.

Zira's reaction made him laugh internally, though he did not show it on the outside. Seeing that she would not look at him, he approached her even closer.

-"My little fox," – he spoke softly, shaking his head. – "You do not seem to understand what my proposition to you entails."

The lioness glared his way in the corner of her eye.

-"What do you have in mind?"

Leaning over and lowering his tone to a whisper, he continued-

-"I shall indeed need a queen. Yet Sarabi is… not within the realm of my interests."

She understood perfectly what he was suggesting. Still, moving away, the female looked at him with faked loathing.

-"I already have a mate. You know that."

It was then that Scar smiled openly before her.

-"Yes. An… _unfortunate_ fact, as it was from the very moment of your betrothal. Wouldn't you agree?"

The astonished lioness looked at him with increasing interest.

-"As you once said to me yourself, _there is no greater power than to rule over the land,_ " – he went on, and his grin grew wider. – "As king of the Pridelands, I will possess the authority to declare your betrothal to Kimya null and void. You were coerced to marry him against your will after all, were you not? Moreover, your mate is a traitor, a dangerous outlaw. If you convince the Marshlander lionesses to turn against him and drive him out, not only will all of you be completely free of the guilt of joining him in the first place... but you will also gain great merit in the eyes of the king."

Zira's lips shook. A deep longing could now be seen in her eyes.

-"A-and what will be my reward if I obey?" – she whispered.

Scar looked at her again in the same manner in which he had as they once laid on top of Pride Rock, away from the others, as if they themselves were one another's only escape.

-"Have I not once promised you that I would be your guardian forever?" – he responded. – "I shall make you my mate, Zira. And the queen of this land."

After all, he had a debt to pay to her, as well.

Immediately, Zira fell into his embrace, and he knew that she had agreed without reservation. Unlike with Zidi and Jo, his charm and trickery had worked. But there was a great difference in the way in which he referred to them, and to this peculiar lioness.

That difference was that, when it came to Zira, he was being sincere.

-"I missed you so much, my beloved…" – the vicious lioness breathed with relief, touched to the core, placing her head on his chest.

-"I have missed you also, my little fox," – Scar responded, dreadfully recalling his captivity among the humans. – "You have no idea…"

Offering her a smile, he surrounded her with his arm. He could not wish for more, though he doubted if he was even worthy of such luck.

Yet, after the initial euphoria, Zira still raised her eyes at him with concern.

-"But… what about Simba?" – she asked.

Luckily, that he had also already considered.

-"Let's not talk about him now. We shall deal with my nephew… at a later time," – he assured her, holding her more closely.

* * *

The next day, Kimya, the rebellious prince of the Pridelands, was overthrown and driven into exile by the lionesses from his own pride. Under Zira's leadership, the Marshlanders returned to Pride Rock in peace, declaring their unswerving allegiance to the new king.

The shaman Rafiki was called upon, and though no one had informed him of anything, he did not seem surprised when Sarabi tasked him with crowning Scar as the interim monarch. Instead, the mandrill strangely smiled when he looked at him- an emotion Scar had not seen in the old sage since he were a cub.

The animals gathered for the ceremony, and when Scar stood before them atop of Pride Rock, he could hardly believe that this was all real. What he had always wanted became true, yet without violence or bloodshed. At least not on his part.

Sarabi, the widow queen, stepped aside relinquishing her reign to make room for him. On his right, there stood the young Simba, wishing his uncle the best of luck. Soon, he was to rule himself, and Scar would make sure that the crown prince would indeed ascend the throne peacefully after he came of age. That much he owed to Mufasa.

Looking to the other side, he saw Zira, his happy new mate. The young queen did not look down on her subjects, however, unable to take her eyes off him. He knew it would be hard to convince her to abandon the throne for Simba's sake… but he also knew that he would succeed, eventually. For though Zira loved power, there was one thing she loved even more. And that was Scar.

Being the lord of the Marshlands, Zira's inheritance, would have to suffice for him after his abdication. But he had a feeling that, by that time, he would already be tired of ruling. Living in the Roman Empire had caused the taste of power to turn bland for him.

Scar could sense upcoming struggles even now, as he watched the consternation of the kingdom's animals, who were shocked by the fact that he allowed hyenas to return to the Pridelands. Yet, though he knew that this would cause problems, he had a debt to pay even to those wretched creatures. And they were the ones who applauded his ascension to the throne the most.

Perhaps now, in order to secure the peace, it was the right time for the Lion Guard to be restored. He could take care of that personally, as another way of redeeming his crimes from the past. The only problem was the lack of male lions in the kingdom. Yet, as he looked at his beloved mate, he also suspected that this could easily be resolved, as well.

He was the king. He was overwhelmingly happy, although he felt sorry for it. He could still feel the biting sting of remorse deep in his heart. It was as if Mufasa sacrificed his life so that he could be here, though it seemed completely unjust.

Raising his eyes toward the sky, he felt the breeze playing with the hair of his mane.

 _How is this possible?_ – he asked. – _I do not deserve to be standing here._

High in the clouds, he saw the face of his father. With him, there appeared others, as well- the one of Mufasa, and the one of Upesi the Wise, the old leader of the Lion Guard, his beloved mentor and uncle…

They all looked at him in approval, though he could still not understand, why. That sensation made tears appear in his eyes.

-" _Though you were once unworthy,"_ – spoke king Ahadi, - _"We trust that you will be, in the future. Earn this honor with a noble life, and you shall redeem your past transgressions. For you are more than what you have become. You are my son, Taka, and I will watch over you always, because you are the pride of my heart."_

Now he understood. He was spared in order to save the kingdom, but also that he himself could be saved. For the first time in years, the lion looked toward heaven with gratitude, thanking both the Old Kings, and the powers that were even above them, for bestowing this mercy upon him.

-" _Asante, baba,_ " – whispered Taka the Scarred, king of the Pridelands, with a heart overflowing with emotion. - "I will earn this... I promise to you. To _all_ of you."

And then he roared.

* * *

THE END

* * *

 **AN:** _ **Alexa, play Sanctuary by Joji (wipes away tear).**_

 **Thus, after nearly two years (or over two, if you count "Taka's Guard"), we have this- a redemption story. Something rare in Disney, yet similar to what I did in 'From behind Bars'. But not completely. Again, this chapter ties in with both the first one, and "Taka's Guard", so if you want to know what the heck is going on exactly, I suggest you read that next.  
**

 ** **I wanted both brothers to survive… but, no. That was impossible. Not after what Disney had done. If you want to know my thought on the remake, go ahead and read my review below. Or just skip to my explanation of the final chapter, which is even belower. And in case you don't care about that sh*t, let me just say this-****

 ** ** _THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!_ If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have finished this story. Literally. At some point, I became so exasperated with the whole Lion King franchise that I even deleted this fanfic completely. _Twice._ But then, you turned to me and asked if I would continue... And so, after a looong hiatus, I did. That's why I dedicate these final chapters to you, and I hope you enjoyed your read. Once again, you have my sincere thanks.****

 ** **Now...****

* * *

 **MY THOUGHTS ON LION KING 2019.**

 **Well… At least it's not as bad as "Cats", amirite? ;)**

 **Here I must strike my breast saying 'mea culpa'. I did, in fact, feed the Disney Empire with my dollars, and went to see the remake in the cinema. I knew it would be a cash-grab spectacle... But what can I say. The Lion King is my childhood, and my favorite movie of all time. I have a lion tattooed on my arm. Did I jump on the bandwagon of Lion King nostalgia, prepared for us by Disney? Yes, yes I did. Sorry if that seems hypocritical. But was it worth it?**

 **First off, after watching it, do I think that this remake was necessary? No. It was not. But was it bad?**

 **Opinions online are mixed, to say the least. Viewer scores are mostly positive, while the Tube is flooded with videos expressing how awful, terrible, and in other ways disgusting the whole thing was.**

 _ **(Sigh)**_ **I will be honest. I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. But is it as good as the original? Nooo, no no, and no. Still, it's not terrible, either. If it attracts the younger audience to see the original, which I think it will, I take that as a win.  
**

 **First off, the CGI is amazing, which goes without saying (though through radically excessive realism, it totally robs the characters of human-like emotions). The movie begins with a shot-for-shot carbon copy of the original, seeing which made my heart rejoice. Oh, if only they'd kept it that way...**

 **When the remake follows the original, it's fine. Problems start with the changes they introduced. For example, changing the voice cast was an absolute fail. Most of the time, they either try too hard (flippin' Beyonce as Nala, Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa... Those two do okay for the most part, but why the forced relevant jokes? Why the farts?), or not try hard enough at all (Simba, also flippin' James Earl Jones sounds like he is _annoyed_ that he had to do this again! What is up with that?! They should have just reused the old voices, then!). And then there's Scar. Ohhh boy...**

 **To be honest, his re-design grew on me with time. He is the only lion in the whole franchise who is shown actually eating meat, blood and all! I thought that was kinda ballsy. But still, the final execution was very disappointing. My gosh, why did they make him into such a soulless, bland, run-of-the-mill villain? And _where in the seven circles of hell_ is Jeremy Irons?! If it ain't broken, don't fix it! _Be prepared_? Oh, don't even get me started...**

 **To sum it up. The Lion King is like pizza. Even if it's bad, it's still pretty good. The remake is like a slice of excellent pizza that someone put in the fridge for three days... and then took out, reheated, and threw some extra sliced of cheese and spices on it, thinking he'd make it better that way. Oh, and one more thing- the cheese and spices on the reheated pizza are kind of meh, but... _a ball of sh*t?!_**

 **Who on God's good earth thought that a photorealistic ball of manure would be a good idea?! Like, seriously? That is exactly what the problem is with this movie. You wanna recreate it just as it was, but prettier? Fine. But why throw extra sh*t on it?!**

 **I liked the extended 'In the jungle' song. I liked that they put in some of the music from the musical. I thought the stampede was pretty decent. I even liked the twist in the 'live bait' scene. But the rest? The freakin' social-justicy female empowerment theme? Forced, unnecessary, and stupid. (The way I see it, Hollywood is saturated with feminism. I've nothing against women. What I am against, is twisting beloved classics to push your questionable agenda). I get it, Shenzi's the matriarch of her pack. But her conflict with Nala is as artificial as all hell. All in all, the hyenas are unfunny, unscary, and ugly as mortal sin (maybe on purpose?). I think that, for Shenzi's sake, they were trying to portray them as more formidable than even Scar himself. But they failed.** **Also, where my boys Banzai and Ed?!**

 **Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention some of the things they took out, too, like the scene with Rafiki whacking Simba on the head with his staff. _Very_ important scene. Gone. So not only did they put new crap on the pizza, but they also took some of the best toppings out. ******How is this movie longer than the original?!****

 **And another thing- Scar trying to seduce Sarabi. Why not Nala? Ooooh, is that too 'controversial'? But that's what he does in the musical! And where in all of this, I ask, is Zira? Couldn't they have had Scar try to woo Sarabi (and get rejected) right after he took the throne? Why would he wait so long? Or why did they change the last scene at Pride Rock? Bad writing alert, Disney! It's moments like these that make me think- _ugh_ , this could have actually been good. But instead, most of the changes come off as low-quality fan-fiction.**

 **So Scar had challenged Mufasa in the past, right? Was it Mufasa who gave him his scar, then? Does that mean that 'The Tale of Two Brothers' is officially non-canon now?! Ahadi, Uru, Scar having been named Taka and the origin of his scar... all that? If so, it would means that… both this story, and its prequel, "Taka's Guard", also do not follow the canon! Wow, I… I'm not sure how I feel about that! I don't know anything anymore… Disney just doesn't care, do they? XD No, the remake is not canon to me. At least in my 'head-canon', it does not exist. Sorry.**

 **This movie is so bad it's not even properly bad. It's just a painfully mediocre CGI show-off, with most of the magic sucked out of it. After watching the remake (and I highly doubt I'll ever do that again), I went home and immediately watched the original online. I just felt like I had to. To remind myself of what this story really is.**

 **This is why 'The Lion King' will never die- because the original is so good that even a re-make rip-off will rake in millions and attract affection. And, the way I see it, this is why fan-fiction will never die, either. Cause people want these characters to live, and to tell new stories, unlike Disney does.**

 **So...**

* * *

 **WHY THIS STORY ENDS THE WAY IT DOES.**

 **As I said before, "From the Sands of the Arena" reflects my thought about the remake. The Roman Empire is Disney. By making this movie, they seriously kicked the characters' asses. I really wished it wouldn't be that way, but it is. This is why, in the last chapter, when he's speaking to Zira, Scar looks like his redesign- no longer conniving and sarcastic, but a grim, skinny, beat-up fiend.  
**

 **At some point, I knew that at least one of the brothers would die. It fell on Mufasa, unfortunately, because he is the embodiment of the franchise- the best king of the Pridelands, who lives in our memories forever (call him the incarnation of nostalgia, if you will). He is no more, and we will never see his equal, but the story does not end. Scar survives, as twisted as he is.**

 **At some point, I thought that both brothers would die. I was so mad with this remake, I though it would be terrible. But since it came out as only mediocre, one of the prisoners of Carthage escaped with his life.**

 **Had the remake been better, I'd have spared Mufasa. I though about it, and I still think it would make a lot of sense if it was him, not his brother, who attempted to cross the gates of Carthage first. Then, it would have been Scar who'd be killed by the soldiers, thus saving Mufasa and redeeming himself (he had a similar sacrificial redemption in "From Behind Bars", though he did not die). Mufasa would go back home, re-instate his reign, and everything would be pretty much back to normal, with Scar remembered as a hero who saved the king's life, and his former crimes forgiven.**

 **But fate is... whimsical. You are probably asking yourself the same question which Scar had, all throughout his journey back home in this final chapter (from Tunisia to Tanzania, which according to my calculations would have taken over 6 months!). After all, Scar is a murderer. Yes, it is true that throughout the story both brothers are seen slowly slipping into madness. Mufasa is still fighting it, though, and does not even come close to the savagery exhibited by his brother. The Old Kings decided to spare Scar yet another time, however. And now, he ascends the throne as the interim king, with his beloved Zira by his side** ** **(note that this is also a way for Ahadi to prove to Scar that he actually _does_ love his younger son)**. But how did he merit that? And how did Mufasa merit death?**

 **The answer is, they didn't.**

 **I am not the first one to use Christian themes and quotations from the Bible in a Lion King fan-fic. I once read one such similar story, where Scar was given another chance after being attacked by the hyenas. The author used the quote- "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad" (Matthew 5,44n).  
**

 **Scar is a savage killer. At the point when he starts ripping innocents apart, he no longer possesses a conscience. It would take a miracle to cure his madness and bloodlust, and a miracle does indeed happen. Not just when he is healed. Scar is amazed when he witnesses sacrifice- both that of the Christians, and that of Mufasa. Until now, he lived a completely selfish life, and could not understand that one could live differently. But the Christian who heals his would-be killer, as well as a brother who sacrifices himself for one who wanted to kill him, are events so striking that they finally open his eyes, and make Scar realize that his old teachers were actually right. He lives, because he is given another chance.** **"They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick."**

 **Scar, flabbergasted and remorseful, comes back to Pride Rock. Seeing the crisis, he understands that the Old King, now along with Mufasa, sent him there to save the kingdom. He does that by taking the throne, and by making the first sacrifice in his life- promising Sarabi that he will stand down after Simba reaches maturity. Abandoning his hubris, he now knows that his reign will be difficult, and in fact worse than that of his brother. Scar's reign is a portrait of the remake. It will be short-lived, and will disappear like a fart in the wind (like the memory of this CGI cash-grab). Although it is not a complete tragedy in itself, it is the result of one. All we, and the Pridelanders, can do, is hope for a better future.**

 **This is why I called back Zira. She is one of my favorite characters in the franchise, and you all know I love to experiment with describing her relationship with Scar. In the remake, she is completely absent, which was of course to be expected. But what was not expected, was that the movie _erases Zira from the canon_. If Scar wanted Sarabi as his queen right before Nala left, then Zira wasn't there by his side. He wants cubs, and therefore, he had never chosen Kovu to be his heir.**

 **Man, _screw that_! Hashtag NotMyLionKing. Zira _is_ , and forever will be, Scar's consort. This is why I made her queen. She deserves it, especially after what she's been through in "Taka's Guard".**

 **But here Scar uses his cunning yet again. He 'tricks' her into becoming his queen in order to stop the insurgence, and obviously, Zira is more than happy to comply. But did Scar tell her that he's planning to abdicate when Simba comes of age? _Nooo..._ (knowing her, she probably thinks they're going to kill Simba as soon as Scar ascends the throne!). If he did, she would have never agreed. But later, when she gets a taste of the burden of actually ruling a kingdom, she might agree to an earlier retirement with Scar and, perhaps, even their cubs. I wanted this to be a redemption story for both of them. Who knows, perhaps Scar will be able to teach her the kindness he had learned himself?**

 **Upon his death, Pardus, the panther prophet, announces that the Roman Empire is on the brink of collapse, which was actually very true in the 3rd century, just before the Barbarian invasion. The way I see it, this signifies the fall of Disney. All great empires eventually implode, if they are built on greed and vice. If they continue making garbage CGI films with no story or charm, people will stop watching them. Hasta la vista, the mouse will finally be eaten by some stronger lion emerging from his lair.  
**

 **Unless...**

 **Unless they actually start writing _new_ stories? Like, good ones, and not just veiled carriers for politically correct social nonsense? Usher in a rebirth of classic animation? Uh, probably not. But it's okay to dream, right? Just like Scar can dream that, someday, perhaps he will redeem his sins, and be accepted among the Great Kings. After all, they still watch over him, like a light from the past. Just as the old classics remain unharmed, no matter what new monstrosity is being released.  
**

 **Alright, I need a break from all of this. This has taken long enough. I have no idea if and when I will write again, as this whole 'Lion King remake' event has taken up a lot of my energy. So peace out, and thank you again for your reads, fellow Lion King fans!**

* * *

 **PS. HOLY CRAP.**

 **Did you guys see the trailer for the new episode of The Lion Guard that _just_ came out?! This... this is... _mind-blowing_. It's all about Scar, and his guard! We see him before he got his scar, and how he got it! This is now the _official_ canon, people! And this comes out today, as I finish my story! What are the chances of that?! Wow, I just can't calm down... The new episode will be aired on Saturday. I just can't freakin' wait!**

 **And then... let the new fan-fiction flow XD**


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